▪ I. ˈnevel, n. Sc.
Also 6 -ell, 7 newell, 8 nevvel.
[f. nevel v.]
A blow with the fist.
| 15.. Christ's Kirk vii, They partit manly with a nevell. 1602 in J. Mill's Diary (1889) 187 James Brown hes giffin Hendrie Waltersoun ane newell. 1715 Ramsay Christ's Kirk ii. iii, Wi' nevels I'm amaist fawn faint. 1739 A. Nicol Nature without Art, Some wi' Nevvels had sair snouts. 1819 Tennant Papistry Storm'd (1827) 154 Was naething gain but knocks and nevels. 1846 tr. Drummond's Muckomachy 17 (E.D.D.), Gave his cheeks some dainty nevels. |
▪ II. nevel, v. Sc. and north. dial.
(ˈnɛv(ə)l)
Forms: 6 neffel, 7 nauell, 9 knevel, neavil, nevil, 8– nevel.
[f. neve nieve, fist + -el, -le 3; perh. directly from Scand., cf. Norw. dial. nevla to knead (Ross).]
trans. To beat with the fists; to pound or pummel. Hence ˈnevelling vbl. n.
| a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 146 Frome schouldering, thei go to buffetis, and from dry blawes, by neffis and neffelling. 1603 Philotus cxxxiv, Thow sall beir me a beuell, For with my Neiues I sall the nauell. 1684 Meriton Yorksh. Dialogue 603 She'l Nawpe and Nevel them with⁓out a Cause. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 337 [He] nevell'd me sae sair, That for a week I could nae draw my breath. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxiv, Twa landloupers..got me down and knevelled me sair aneuch. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Neavill'd or Nevilled, pummelled with the fist. ‘A good nevilling’. [Also in later northern glossaries.] |
▪ III. nevel
variant of nivel n. and v. Obs.