Scots

American  

[skots] / skɒts /

noun

1. Also called Scottish.  the English language as spoken in Scotland.

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adjective

1. Scottish.

Scots British  

/ skɒts /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Scotland, its people, their English dialects, or their Gaelic language

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noun

1. any of the English dialects spoken or written in Scotland See also Lallans

Commonly Confused

See Scotch.

Etymology

Origin of Scots

1325–75; syncopated form of Scottis, Middle English, variant (north) of Scottish

Example Sentences

The travel isn't the only thing the Scots will need to adapt to this summer.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

While he described welfare as a necessary "safety net", he vowed to get thousands of economically inactive Scots back into work.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

A core Reform pledge is to "cut waiting lists" as one in nine Scots are waiting for specialist NHS treatment.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Their plan was good in theory: The Scots would carve a route across Panama and control trade between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

The Ulster Scots had a key role in shaping not just the geography of the United States but also its political leadership.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz