English · Idiom Historical

Black Rood of Scotland

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

The "piece of the true cross" or rood, set in an ebony crucifix, which St.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Black & white Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “Black Rood of Scotland” mean?

The "piece of the true cross" or rood, set in an ebony crucifix, which St.

Is “Black Rood of Scotland” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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