Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A large mug with a knobbed lid.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A hen with a crest or topknot.
- noun A vessel for liquor, containing two Scottish pints, or about three quarts English.
- noun Hence A large or liberal allowance of liquor, especially wine.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Scots, hen with a crest on its head, tappit-hen, tappit, crested (variant of topped, past participle of top), hen.]
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word tappit-hen.
Examples
-
But come, gentlemen, don't let the tappit-hen scraugh to be emptied.
A Legend of Montrose 1871
-
-- But come, gentlemen, don't let the tappit-hen scraugh to be emptied.
A Legend of Montrose Walter Scott 1801
-
Their bind was just a Scots pint over-head, and a tappit-hen to the bill, and no man ever saw them the waur o't.
St. Ronan's Well Walter Scott 1801
-
Their bind was just a Scots pint over-head, and a tappit-hen to the bill, and no man ever saw them the waur o’t.
Saint Ronan's Well 2008
-
But come, gentlemen, don’t let the tappit-hen scraugh to be emptied.
A Legend of Montrose 2008
sionnach commented on the word tappit-hen
a crested hen, or a large bottle or jar of wine or spirits.
June 11, 2009