Sc. Also 4, 6 clewch; 6 pl. clewis. [Sc. form of CLOUGH q.v.: cf. beuch, eneuch, teuch = bough, enough, tough, etc.]
1. A gorge or ravine with precipitous and usually rocky sides, generally that of a stream or torrent. (Often entering into place-names, as Buccleuch, Caldcleuch, Wolfcleuch, etc.)
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVI. 386. In a clewch on the ta hand All his archeris enbuschit he.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 539. A cleuch thar was, quharoff a strenth thai maid.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. iv. 18. Ane wode abuife … with his rank bewis … castis ane plesand schaddow our the clewis.
1688. Scott of Satchells, Hist. Name Scot (1776), 37 (Jam.). And for the Buck thou stoutly brought To us up that steep heugh Thy designation ever shall Be John Scot in Buckscleugh.
1806. J. Grahame, Birds Scotl., 13.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xiv. The cleugh we were in was strait.
2. The precipitous side of a gorge; a steep and rugged descent.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, II. (1822), 204. At thair bakkis wes ane strait montane or cleuch [II. 65 ab tergo crant clivi].
1595. Duncan, App. Etymol., Rupes, prærupta petra, a craig or clewch.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., Table 82. Ane vnrewlie … horse, cariand ane man over ane cleuch, craig, or in water.
1816. Scott, Antiq., viii. ‘An ye fa’ over the cleugh too.’
