heughheuchn.
/hjuːx/, /hjuː/, /hjuːk/, U.S. /hju/, /hjux/, /hjuk/, Scottish English /hjux/ Scottish and northern dialect.
1. A precipitous or hanging descent; a craggy or rugged steep; a precipice, cliff, or scaur; most commonly, one overhanging a river or the sea.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > cliff > [noun]
cliffOE
cleoa1300
cleevec1300
rochec1300
clougha1400
heugha1400
brackc1530
clift1567
perpendicular1604
precipice1607
precipe1615
precipit1623
abrupt1624
scar1673
bluff1687
rock wall1755
krantz1785
linn1799
scarp1802
scaur1805
escarpment1815
rock face1820
escarp1856
hag1868
glint1906
scarping1909
stone-cliff1912
ledra1942
the world > the earth > land > landscape > low land > valley > [noun] > gorge or ravine
cloughc1330
heugha1400
straitc1400
gillc1440
gulfa1533
gull1553
gap1555
coomb1578
gullet1600
nick1606
goyle1617
gully1637
nullah1656
ravine1687
barrancaa1691
kloof1731
ravin1746
water gap1756
gorge1769
arroyo1777
quebrada1787
rambla1789
flume1792
linn1799
cañada1814
gulch1832
cañon1834
canyon1837
khud1837
couloir1855
draw1864
box canyon1869
sitch1888
tangi1901
opena1903
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 22202 Ouer hogh to lepe his hals to brek.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 15826 And rugged him vnrekinli bath ouer hil and hogh [Vesp. ogh, Fairf. scogh, Trin. Cambr. slowȝe; rhyme wogh].
c1425 Wyntoun Cron. vii. iv. 93 The Kyng..Oure a Hewch gert cast hym downe, Doggis til ete his caryowne.
c1425 Wyntoun Cron. viii. xxxviii. 92 Sum flede downe oure þe Hwe.
?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) 5549 Him thoght þat abouen þat hough he and his men lay sure ynogh.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid i. iv. 13 To se the hewis on ather hand is wondir.
c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) vi. 31 Vndir ane hingand heuch i herd mony hurlis of stannirs & stanis that tumlit doune.
1597 A. Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 37 Every blome on branche and bewche..hang thair heids out over ane hewche [ed. 2 hewch].
1609 J. Skene tr. Quoniam Attach. c. 48 §10 (Jam.) Gif an wylde or head strang horse caries ane man..over ane craig, or heuch.
1790 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) II. 510 The water rins o'er the heugh.
1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering II. 63 From the top of a heugh or broken bank, [he] enjoyed the scene much more to his own satisfaction.
1876 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Words Whitby Heuf, or Heugh, a steep hill-side.
1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders 39 The most part of us were out on the heuchs, looking to seaward.
2. A glen or ravine with steep overhanging braes or sides; a cleuch.
ΚΠ
a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Fox & Wolf l. 745 in Poems (1981) 32 Than wes he blyith, and in ane hewch him hid.
c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) vi. 32 Al..cryit..as it hed bene ecco in ane hou heuch.
1753 Trial J. Stewart 203 At the foot of the heugh (or deep hollow place) of Corrynakeigh in Koalifnacoan, he heard a whistle.
1801 J. Leyden in Complaynt Scotl. Gloss. 343 Heugh,..a deep rugged valley, or small glen...Hingland heugh is a glen, with steep over-hanging braes or sides.
3. The steep face of a quarry or other excavation ( quarry heugh); an excavation for coal, originally open; a coal-pit; figurative a pit.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > workplace > places where raw materials are extracted > quarry > [noun] > parts of quarry
heugh1592
jad1871
butt1884
overlay1886
society > occupation and work > workplace > places where raw materials are extracted > mine > [noun] > excavated area > of coal-mine
coal pit1323
pit1447
coal-pot1512
heugh1786
1592 Early Rec. Min. Scot. (1878) 65 That his gracis subjectis micht hawe a securitie to tak thair hewis.
1592 Sc. Acts, 12 Jas. VI (1597) §146 The wicked crime of setting of fire in Coal-heuches.
1786 R. Burns Poems 56 Tho' yon lowan heugh's thy hame, Thou travels far.
1808–25 in J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang.
Compounds
heughman n. a miner, collier.
ΚΠ
1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 11 The Dysart heughmen left their places O' darkness now, and wash't their faces.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
heughint.
An exclamation of surprise; hollo! (Cf. hewgh int., whew int.)
ΘΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > exclamation of surprise [interjection]
whatOE
well, wellOE
avoyc1300
ouc1300
ay1340
lorda1393
ahaa1400
hillaa1400
whannowc1450
wow1513
why?1520
heydaya1529
ah1538
ah me!a1547
fore me!a1547
o me!a1547
what the (also a) goodyear1570
precious coals1576
Lord have mercy (on us)1581
good heavens1588
whau1589
coads1590
ay me!1591
my stars!a1593
Gods me1595
law1598
Godso1600
to go out1600
coads-nigs1608
for mercy!a1616
good stars!1615
mercy on us (also me, etc.)!a1616
gramercy1617
goodness1623
what next?1662
mon Dieu1665
heugh1668
criminy1681
Lawd1696
the dickens1697
(God, etc.) bless my heart1704
alackaday1705
(for) mercy's sake!1707
my1707
deuce1710
gracious1712
goodly and gracious1713
my word1722
my stars and garters!1758
lawka1774
losha1779
Lord bless me (also you, us, etc.)1784
great guns!1795
mein Gott1795
Dear me!1805
fancy1813
well, I'm sure!1815
massy1817
Dear, dear!1818
to get off1818
laws1824
Mamma mia1824
by crikey1826
wisha1826
alleleu1829
crackey1830
Madonna mia1830
indeed1834
to go on1835
snakes1839
Jerusalem1840
sapristi1840
oh my days1841
tear and ages1841
what (why, etc.) in time?1844
sakes alive!1846
gee willikers1847
to get away1847
well, to be sure!1847
gee1851
Great Scott1852
holy mackerel!1855
doggone1857
lawsy1868
my wig(s)!1871
gee whiz1872
crimes1874
yoicks1881
Christmas1882
hully gee1895
'ullo1895
my hat!1899
good (also great) grief!1900
strike me pink!1902
oo-er1909
what do you know?1909
cripes1910
coo1911
zowiec1913
can you tie that?1918
hot diggety1924
yeow1924
ziggety1924
stone (or stiffen) the crows1930
hullo1931
tiens1932
whammo1932
po po po1936
how about that?1939
hallo1942
brother1945
tie that!1948
surprise1953
wowee1963
yikes1971
never1974
to sod off1976
whee1978
mercy1986
yipes1989
1668 G. Etherege She wou'd if she Cou'd ii. ii. 27 Heuk! Sly-girl and Mad-cap, to 'em, to 'em, to 'em, Boys, Alou!
1852 W. Anderson Exposure Popery (1878) 128 Heugh! Cardinal! revealed at last!
1890 ‘W. A. Wallace’ Only a Sister 176 Heugh! What a fellow I am! I never asked her what she was doing here!
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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n.a1400int.1668