Northern. Forms: 4–6 codde, 4–7 codd, 5– cod, (5–6 kod(e, 6–7 code, 7– coad, mod. Sc. dial. code (kōd)). [a. ODa. kodde, ON. koddi, pillow (Sw. kudde cushion): cf. Du. kodde:—OTeut. type *kuddon-, from same root as COD1, and closely related in sense, a pillow being a bag or covering stuffed with some soft substance.]
1. A pillow; a cushion. Sc. and north. dial.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4916. With curtyns all of clene sylke & coddis of þe same.
1402. York Wills, I. 288. Summo altari j. cervical, anglice a kode.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 84. When I nap on my cod.
1512. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), V. 38. Two pilloo coddes with the valandes.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. (1872), 68. i maid ane cod of ane gray stane.
1578. Richmond. Wills, 277. iiij. pin cods and ij nedle casis.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 138. Wae be vnto thame quha sewis soft kods to putt vnder euerie Elbok.
1612. Inv., in A. M‘Kay, Hist. Kilmarnock (1864), 308. Auchteine codis, pairtlie filed with downis and pairt with fedderis.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, Cod, a Pillow; Pin-cod, a Pincushion.
1682. Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 206. For making a codd to the litany deske.
1737. Ramsay, Sc. Proverbs (1776), 74 (Jam.). Twa heads may lie upon ae cod.
1823. Galt, Entail, I. vii. 47. ‘Gae to thy bed and bring a cod for Mr. Walkinshaw, for he’ll no can thole to sit down on our hard chairs.’
2. Mech. One of the bearings of an axle; esp. (in early use) the ‘bolsters’ or brasses on which a church-bell swings.
1379. Mem. Ripon (Surtees), III. 101. In xiij lb. de messyng pro ij coddes ad dictam campanam. Ibid. (1425), III. 156. Pro uno kode de ære, 2s. 2d.
1839. R. S. Robinson, Naut. Steam Eng., 40. A small piece of cast-iron, flat on one side and half-round on the other, called a cod, is introduced, with its back bearing against the spring.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Cod (Newc.), the bearing of an axle.
3. Comb. Cod-pillow = 1; cod-slip, a pillow-case; also COD-WARE, q.v.
1569. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1835), 302. ijo towells, v fyve codpillers vs.
