wersh, a. Sc. and north dial.
(wɜːʃ; Sc. wɛrʃ, werʃ, warʃ)
Forms: 5 warsch(e, 6 wairsche, 7–9 warsh, 9 wairsh, wearsh, whersh, 8– wersh.
[Prob. a contracted form of wearish. Cf. wershed a.]
1. a. Of persons: Sickly or feeble in appearance. Also Comb. wersh-like, wersh-looking.
| c 1480 Henryson Orpheus & Eur. 233 Lene and dedelike, pitouse and pale of hewe, Rycht warsch [v.r. warsche] and wan, & walowit as a wede. 1842 Carlyle in Froude Mem. (1884) I. 244 A harmless, intelligent enough, rather wersh-looking man. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xli. 289, I thocht she was luikin' warsh-like. |
b. Physically weak or sickly; squeamish.
| 1755 R. Forbes Ajax etc. Jrnl. to Portsmouth 29 It was enough to gi' a warsh-stamack'd body a scunner. 1872 Mrs. E. Lynn Linton Joshua Davidson vi. 119 We were getting whersh and weak for want of food. |
2. Destitute of savour; insipid, tasteless, or sickly-flavoured; unsalted.
= wearish a. 1. Also
fig.| fig. 1599 Rollock Serm. Epist. Paul viii. Wks. 1849 I. 398 He callis it not simplie and bairlie with ane wairsche word, the gospell,..bot he callis it the licht of the gospell. 1618 W. Barclay Well at King-horne A vij, So ceasing to prosecute this warsh matter of water, I will never cease to continue Your L. most humble and obedient seruitour. 1633 W. Struther True Happiness 48 This was Balaams warsh wishing, his desires were so weak, that they pearced not his heart, how could they pearce the heaven? 1720 Ramsay Wealth 133 And Helicon's wersh well thou ca's divine. 1820 Blackw. Mag. VIII. 80 As articles, they were not so musty as those of the old Scots Magazine..nor so wersh. 1884 Swinburne in 19th Cent. Oct. 556 Charles Reade's Dominican is worth a dozen such ‘wersh’, ineffectual, invertebrate studies. |
| lit. 1823 J. Wilson Marg. Lyndesay xxix, Water's unco wersh, and does na sloken weel. 1831 Blackw. Mag. XXX. ii. 345/2 Sage-stuffing and apple-sauce—without which indeed your goose is wersh. 1853 Sherer Gold-Finder Australia 261 It is my opinion, this mutton's unco wersh, Watty. Ha'e ye ony saut? 1861 E. B. Ramsay Remin. Ser. ii. 61 It's a' vera true, but a kiss and a tinniefu' o' cauld water maks a gey wersh breakfast. 1921 Glasgow Herald 2 May 8 To be sure, unfermented wine is wersh stuff. |
3. Of weather or wind: Unrefreshing; raw.
| 1830 Galt Lawrie T. vii. vi, The breeze, as it comes from the surrounding lofty woods, is wersh. 1894 Crockett Raiders xl. 336 The yellow mist..had a wersh (raw) unkindly feel about it. |