scoup, v. Chiefly Sc.
(skaʊp)
Forms: 5–6 scoupe, 6 skowp, 8 scowp, 7– scoup.
[Of obscure origin; perh. cognate with the synonymous scope v.2]
intr. To bound, caper, skip. Of an animal: To go with leaps and bounds.
| a 1425 Cursor M. 23569 (Trin.) Mony þingis may we do Þat better were vndone þen so As for to scoupe [Cott. skip, Fairf. lepe, Gött. schope] & to ryn Whenne bettur tyme were to blyn. 1530 Palsgr. 699/2, I scoupe, as a lyon or a tygre dothe, whan he doth folowe his pray, je vas par saultées. I have sene a leoparde scoupe after a bucke. a 1585 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 23 The hart, the hynd, the dae, the rae,..War skowping all fra brae to brae, Amang the water broxe. 1721 Ramsay Elegy on Patie Birnie vi, The corky cowp That to the Papists' country scowp, To lear' ha, ha's. 17.. ― Addr. of Thanks iii, Lads..scowp around like tups and bulls. 1739 A. Nicol Nature without Art 87 Your Head's sae fu' o canty Tales That scoups o'er many Muirs and Dales. 1756 Pennecuik's Collect. Sc. Poems 55 But dawt red-coats and let them scoup Free, for the fou of cutty-stoup. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxvi, ‘Wha the deil are ye?’ said the fat dame to poor Jeanie,..‘scouping about a decent house at sic an hour in the morning?’ |
b. phr..
| a 1802 Ld. Thomas & Fair Annie xv. in Child Ballads II. 70/1 The shame [i.e. the Devil] scoup in his company. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Let. xi, Deil scowp wi' Red⁓gauntlet! |
Hence ˈscouping vbl. n. Also ˈscouper.
| a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. iv. Wks. 1848 II. 416 Witnes the Lordschip of Abercorne,..and diverse utheris..gyffin in heritage to scouparis, dansaris, and dalliaris with damis. a 1585 Polwart Flyting w. Montgomerie 757 Land lowper, light skowper, ragged rowper like a raven. 1593 B. Barnes Parthenophil & P. Ode xi. in Arb. Garner V. 457 To see the frisking, and the scouping! |