Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 6 speill, 6, 9 speil, 9 spiel; 6 spel, spele, 8– speel, 9 speal. [Of obscure origin; perh. a back-formation from SPEELER1.]

1

  1.  intr. To mount or ascend to a height by climbing; to climb or clamber (up or down).

2

1513.  Douglas, Æneid, II. viii. 11. Wp to the side wallis mony leddir set is, Quhairon thai preis fast our the ruif to speill.

3

1530.  Lyndesay, Test. Papyngo, 154. This Bird … began to speill, rycht spedalie.

4

1560.  Rolland, Seven Sages, 232. The skipper speillit belyve to the top Mast.

5

1715.  Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., II. x. [They] swat like pownies when they speel Up braes.

6

1816.  Scott, Old Mort., x. I could … speel down … weel eneugh. Ibid. (1818), Hrt. Midl., xx. The … wolves … that I used to see spieling up on my bed.

7

1863.  in Robson, Bards of Tyne, 221. So he speal’d up the side.

8

  fig.  a. 1586.  Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, iii. 31. Then spurgald sporters they, begin to speill [at court].

9

1826.  J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. 1855, I. 2. You’ll see who will have speeled to the tap o’ the tree.

10

  b.  transf. Of the sun, etc.: To move towards the zenith.

11

1718.  Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., III. i. The dawn Speel’d westlines up the lift.

12

1768.  Ross, Helenore, 58. An’ neist the sun to the hill heads did speal.

13

1819.  W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 43. [Phœbus] up the pend at furious rate Gaed spielin’, spankin’, aff!

14

  2.  trans. To mount or ascend, to climb or clamber up (a hill, tree, etc.).

15

1571.  Satir. Poems Reform., xxviii. 160. The Lord … Inspyrit thair spreitis, & gart thame speil that heuch.

16

1785.  Burns, To W. Simpson, iii. My senses wad be in a creel, Should I but dare a hope to speel … The braes o’ fame.

17

1790.  A. Wilson, 2nd Ep. A. Clark, Poet. Wks. (Belfast ed.), 99. Tired wi’ … Speeling stairs, and lifting snecks.

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1815.  Scott, Antiq., vii. Nae mortal could speel them [sc. the cliffs] without a rope.

19

1894.  Heslop, Northumbld. Gloss., 676. He speeled the tree like a cat.

20

  fig.  1786.  Burns, To Jas. Smith, xiii. Ance that five an’ forty’s speel’d.

21

  b.  transf. Of things.

22

1790.  A. Wilson, in Poems & Lit. Prose (1876), II. 198. Bonny mornin’ speels the eastlin lift.

23

a. 1849.  W. Nicholson, in Edwards, Mod. Scott. Poets (1881), III. 67. The honeysuckles speel the roof.

24

1856.  R. Simpson, Covenanters of South, 429. An ancient Celtic dyke speels the beetling height.

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