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

To CHIRK, JIRK, JIRG, CHORK, v. n.
1. To make a grating noise, S.
Popular Ball.
To chirk with the teeth, also actively, to chirk the teeth, to rub them against each other, S.
2. Used to denote "the noise made by the feet when the shoes are full of water," S.
Ramsay.

A. S. cearc-ian, crepitare, stridere, to gnash, to creak; Chaucer, to chirke.

To CHIRME, v. n.
1. Used to denote the mournful sound emitted by birds, especially when collected together before a storm, S.
Douglas.
2. To chirp, without necessarily implying the idea of a melancholy note, S.
Ferguson.
3. To be peevish, to be habitually complaining, S.

Belg. kerm-en, lamentari, quiritari, Isl. jarmr, vox avium, garritus.

Chyrme, s. Note, applied to birds.
Douglas.

To CHIRT, v. a.
1. To squeeze, to press out, S.
Douglas.
2. To act in a griping manner; also, to squeeze or practise extortion, S.

CHIT, s. A small bit of bread, or of any kind of food, S.

To CHITTER, v. n.
1. To shiver, to tremble, S.
Ramsay.
2. To chatter. The teeth are said to chitter, when they strike against each other, S.

Teut. tsitter-en, Germ. schutt-ern, to quiver.

CHITTER-LILLING, s. An opprobrious term.
Dunbar.