Sc. Obs. Also 6 fale, 6–8 faill, 8 feal. [? a. Gael. fàl a sod.]

1

  1.  ‘Any grassy part of the surface of the ground, as united to the rest’ (Jam.).

2

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, XII. Prologue, 88.

        The variant vestur of the venust vaill
Schrowdis the scherald fur, and euery falll.

3

  2.  ‘A turf, a flat clod covered with grass cut off from the rest of the sward’ (Jam.). Also turf, as a material.

4

1535.  Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 146.

        That euerie man ane flaik sould mak of tre,
And faillis delf into greit quantitie.

5

1536.  Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. 172. He beildit ane huge wall of fail and devait.

6

1639.  Spalding, Troub. Chas. I. (1792), I. 173. Caused close it [the port] up strongly with faill and thatch to hold out the shot of the cartow.

7

1708.  J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. III. i. (1743), 400. Addition to their Maintenance, every Minister has Fewel, Foggage, Faill and Diviots allow’d them.

8

  3.  Comb. fail-dyke, a wall built of sods.

9

1536.  in Pitcairn, Crim. Trials Scot., I. 174*. The overthrowing of a ‘faill-dyke’ built on the said lands.

10

17[?].  in Scott, Minstr. Scot. Bord. (1803), III. 241, ‘The Two Corbies.’

        ‘In Behint yon auld fail dyke,
I wot there lies a new-slain knight.’

11

1816.  Scott, Antiq., xx. ‘Auld Edie will hirple out himsell if he can get a feal-dike to lay his gun ower.’

12