Chiefly Sc. Obs. exc. Hist. Forms: 6 Sc. quhingar, -ger, -gre, quhinȝear, -yeir, whingear, 6, 8 whingar, 9 dial. whinjer, 6– whinger. [Presumably related to the earlier synonymous WHINYARD.] = WHINYARD.
1540. Rec. Elgin (New Spald. Cl., 1903), I. 49. The quhingar … quhairwith the said bluid was drawin.
1560. Rolland, Seven Sages (Bann. Club), 313. Incontinent his quhinȝear furth he drew.
1566. Diurn. Occurr. (ibid.), 101. My lord gaif him twa straikis with ane quhingar at the paip.
1681. Colvil, Whigs Supplic., I. (1710), 7. Some had Cross-Bows, some were Slingers; Some had only Knives and Whingers. Ibid., 52. And other some get bloudy Fingers, By grasping naked Knives and Whingers.
1715. Act 1 Geo. I., c. 54 § 1. Poynard, Whingar, or Durk.
c. 1730. Ramsay, Highland Lassie, v. I can wield my trusty sword, Or frae my side whisk out a whinger [rhyme finger].
1820. Scott, Monast., xxvii. If there were a man left … who could draw a whinger.
1823. E. Moor, Suffolk Words, Whinjer, a weapon, especially a large sword.
Hence Whinger v. trans., to stab with a whinger.
1892. A. Lang, in Longman’s Mag., April, 687. He and his brother were ‘whingered’ upon the spot.
