corbie, corby

[Fr.corbeau; Lat. corvus= a crow. A raven or crow. and thae corbies dinna gather without they smell carrion."- Scott: Rob Roy, ch. xviii. corbie me enger, corbie's me enger, s . One who is long upon his errand, or who, like the raven sent from the ark, returns not again. senger."-Melvil: Mem., p. 170. his Majesty alledging that I was Corbie's Mes. corbie-oats, s. A species of black oats. corbie-steps, s. pl. Arch.: A corruption of corbel - steps (q. v.). From this corruption, and the fact that corbie is in Scotch a raven or crow, has arisen the still further corruption of crow- steps , a term which has been actually explained by some as derived from the fact that crows are fond of sitting on them.