Sc. and north. dial. Also 6–9 sonk. [Origin unknown.]
1. A seat of turf.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. iv. 30. Syne efter, endlang the see costis bay, Wp sonkis [we] set, and desis did array. Ibid., V. vii. 44. Tho gan the grave Acest with wordis chyde Entellus, sat on the greyn sonk hym besyde.
1768. Ross, Helenore, III. 221. Gang in an’ seat you o’ the sunks a’ round.
17[?]. Lizie Lindsay, xxix. in Child, Ballads, IV. 262/2. She sawna a seat to sit down on, But only some sunks o green feall.
2. A straw pad used as a cushion or saddle. (Usually pl.) Cf. SOD sb.1 2.
1787. Grose, Provinc. Gloss. (1790), Sunk, a canvas pack-saddle stuffed with straw. North.
1807. Stagg, Poems, 7. Wheyle some wi’ pillion seats an’ sonks To gear their naigs are fussin.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., i. A hair tether, or halter, and a sunk, or cushion of straw, instead of bridle and saddle.
a. 1860. J. Younger, Autobiog., ix. (1881), 90. Now, John,… lay the sunks on your yellow mare.
3. A bank or dyke. Also attrib., as sunk-dyke.
1842. A. Laing, in Whistle-binkie, Ser. IV. 72. Wi’ rough divot sunks haudin’ up the mud wa’s.
1866. Gregor, Banffsh. Gloss., Sunk-dyke, a dyke built of stone or sods on the one side, and filled with earth on the other.
1875. Alex. Smith, New Hist. Aberdeen, II. 925. The larger farms are enclosed … with earthen sunks and hedgerows.
