skean dhu

[thoo, doo]

noun

1. a small knife tucked into or worn against the top of a stocking in the full dress of Highland Scottish males.

skean-dhu

/ ˈskiːn-, ˈskiːənˈduː /

noun

1. a variant of sgian-dhu

Word History and Origins

Origin of skean-dhu¹

First recorded in 1810–20, skean dhu is from Scots Gaelic sgian dhubh literally, “black skean”