An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language / in which the words are explained in their different senses, authorized by the names of the writers by whom they are used, or the titles of the works in which they occur, and deduced from their originals

by John Jamieson

SPIRE, s.
1. The stem of an earth-fast couple, reaching from the floor to the top of the wall, partly inserted in, and partly standing out of, the wall, S. B.
Pop. Ball.
2. A wall between the fire and the door, with a seat on it; also called the spire-wa, S. B.
Ross.

Isl. spira, tigillum; C. B. yspyr, the chimney-post.

To SPIRE, v. a. To wither; denoting the effect of wind or heat, Loth.

Spiry, adj. Warm, parching, ibid.

O. Fr. espir-er, Lat. spir-are, to blow.

SPIRLING, s.
V. [Sparling].

SPIRLING, s. A broil, Perths.

SPITTAL, L. pitall.
V. [Pettail].
Barbour.

To SPITE, v. a. To provoke, S.
Kelly.

SPITTER, s.
1. A very slight shower, S.
2. Snow in small particles, forcibly driven by the wind, S. A.
A. Scott.