▪ I. sklent, n. Sc.
Also sclent.
[Sc. var. of slent n. Cf. the earlier asklent adv.]
A slant or slope; a slanting or sideward movement; a side-look, etc.
| 1768 Ross Helenore 16 With easy sklent, on every side the braes..wi' scatter'd busses raise. 1786 Burns To J. Smith vii, This while my notion's taen a sklent, To try my fate in guid, black prent. 1818 Hogg Brownie of Bodsbeck xiv, I gae a sklent wi' my ee. 1891 Blackw. Mag. CL. 712/1 Not descended indeed in direct line from..Wordsworth.., but striking off from him in a sort of sklent, if we may use such a word. |
▪ II. sklent, v. Sc. and north. dial.
Also sclent.
[var. of slent v.]
1. intr. To move, dart, or fall, obliquely; to lie aslant; to give a side-look, etc.
| 1513 Douglas æneid vii. vii. 87 As sum tyme sclentis the round top of tre, Hit with the twynit quhyp. Ibid. x. xiii. 51 The casting dart..That fleand sclentis on Eneas scheyld. 1629 Sir W. Mure True Crucifixe 1668 The honour.., streight sent back, is vpwards driven, And by Reflexe doth sklent hye way to Heauen. 1808–1901 in Eng. Dial. Dict. (Sc. and Northumb.). |
b. fig. To deviate from a straightforward course, or from the truth.
| 1581 N. Burne in Cath. Tract. (S.T.S.) 155 Bot becaus ye se your self conuict,..ye ar constranit to sklent and mak the act of Parliament ane buclar for your defence aganis al argumentis. 1785 Burns 2nd Epist. J. Lapraik xi, Do ye envy the city-gent, Behint a kist to lie an' sklent. 1864 in Eng. Dial. Dict. |
2. trans. To direct obliquely.
| 1785 Burns To W. Simpson ii, Ironic satire, sidelins sklented, On my poor Musie. 1785 ― Addr. Deil xvii, Ye..sklented on the man of Uzz, Your spitefu' joke. |
Hence ˈsklenting vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1568 Satir. Poems Reform. xlvii. 83 Tha peure winschis ȝe wranguslie suspect For sklenting bowttis. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 II. 321 He was a large quarter of myle from the schote and sklenting of boltis. 1785 Burns Addr. Deil vii, The stars shot down wi' sklentan light. |