Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A shepherd's hut.
  • noun A mountain pasture used in the summer.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as sheal.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Scot. A hut or shelter for shepherds of fishers. See sheeling.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An area of summer pasture used for cattle, sheep etc.
  • noun A shepherd's hut or shack.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Scots shiel, hut, from Middle English schele, possibly from Old English *scēla, probably of Scandinavian origin; see (s)keu- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From shiel, from Old Norse skjól ("shelter, cover"). Akin to Danish skjul ("cover").

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Examples

  • 'Our shieling was a good mile lower down the stream than the artist's summer hut.

    Our Home in the Silver West A Story of Struggle and Adventure Gordon Stables 1875

  • This is a secluded vale, called Killean, which, besides its natural attractions -- and these are many -- is distinguished as one of the few places where the old practice of resorting to the 'shieling' for summer grazing of cattle is still observed.

    Recreations of Christopher North, Volume 2 John Wilson 1819

  • "gledes of light," and with "shieling" for a pastoral summer station in the hills.

    The Homeric Hymns A New Prose Translation; and Essays, Literary and Mythological Andrew Lang 1878

  • Had she but read Euphues, and forgotten that accursed mill and shieling-hill, it is my thought that her converse would be broidered with as many and as choice pearls of compliment, as that of the most rhetorical lady in the court of Feliciana.

    The Monastery 2008

  • It was a moonlight night, and Montrose, worn out by the fatigues of the day, was laid down to sleep in a miserable shieling.

    A Legend of Montrose 2008

  • The form of the retiring chief crossed it for an instant, the hurdle was then closed, and the shieling left in darkness.

    The Fair Maid of Perth 2008

  • Expect to learn about the workings of a Highland shieling summer grazing in the high mountains, the method for waterproofing boots when going duck shooting in a marsh, castle architecture, battle tactics and strategy.

    Archive 2006-10-01 Carla 2006

  • Expect to learn about the workings of a Highland shieling summer grazing in the high mountains, the method for waterproofing boots when going duck shooting in a marsh, castle architecture, battle tactics and strategy.

    Nigel Tranter's historical novels Carla 2006

  • A shieling in cop-pingers and porrish soup all days.

    Finnegans Wake 2006

  • Switzer pine amid the luxuriant scenes of tropical life, when their thoughts revert to the smoky shieling or to the rock-encompassed

    Woman on the American Frontier William Worthington Fowler

Comments

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  • usage note on borda

    March 14, 2008

  • Imagine how lonely he’s feeling -

    The shepherd immured in his shieling.

    Forgive if you can

    That natural man

    For finding a sweet ewe appealing.

    December 26, 2018