pictarnie

English

Etymology

Diminutive of Scottish pictarne.

Noun

pictarnie (plural pictarnies)

1. (Scotland, obsolete) A sea bird, the great tern.
   • 1816, [Walter Scott], The Antiquary. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:

     “It's a pictarnie, sir, ” said Edie

References

• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Pictarnie”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VII (O–P), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 830, column 2.