Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The youngest of a family; a bird in the nest; hence, any feeble, ill-grown creature.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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But now we haena sic spirit amang us; we think mair about the warst wallydraigle in our ain byre, than about the blessing which the angel of the covenant gave to the Patriarch even at Peniel and Mahanaim, or the binding obligation of our national vows; and we wad rather gie a pund Scots to buy an unguent to clear out auld rannell-trees and our beds o’ the English bugs as they ca’ them, than we wad gie a plack to rid the land of the swarm of Arminian caterpillars, Socinian pismires, and deistical Miss Katies, that have ascended out of the bottomless pit, to plague this perverse, insidious, and lukewarm generation.
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-- But now we haena sic spirit amang us; we think mair about the warst wallydraigle in our ain byre, than about the blessing which the angel of the covenant gave to the Patriarch even at Peniel and Mahanaim, or the binding obligation of our national vows; and we wad rather gie a pund
The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Complete Walter Scott 1801
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-- But now we haena sic spirit amang us; we think mair about the warst wallydraigle in our ain byre, than about the blessing which the angel of the covenant gave to the Patriarch even at Peniel and Mahanaim, or the binding obligation of our national vows; and we wad rather gie a pund
The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 1 Walter Scott 1801
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--- But now we haena sic spirit amang us; we think mair about the warst wallydraigle in our ain byre, than about the blessing which the angel of the covenant gave to the Patriarch even at Peniel and Mahanaim, or the binding obligation of our national vows; and we wad rather gie a pund Scots to buy an unguent to clear out auld rannell-trees and our beds o 'the English bugs as they ca' them, than we wad gie a plack to rid the land of the swarm of
she commented on the word wallydraigle
A worthless, slovenly woman.
July 11, 2008
she commented on the word wallydraigle
Now with 90% more OED™!
Also wallydrag, wallidrag, -draggle, -dragle, -tragle, warydraggel, -draggle, etc. (Cf. drag, draggle)
1808 J. Jamieson, An etymological dictionary of the Scottish language — n., A feeble, ill-grown person or animal; a worthless, slovenly person, esp. a woman.
"It appears primarily to signify the youngest of a family, who is often the feeblest. It is sometimes used to denote the youngest bird in a nest."
1826 J. Galt, Last of the Lairds — "It's just like a cuckoo dabbing a wallydraigle out o' the nest."
1873 W. Alexander, Johnny Gibb — "Yon bit pernicketty wallydraggle!"
August 2, 2008