weather-gaws

Noun

weather-gaw (plural weather-gaws)

1. (Scotland, UK, dialectal, often) An instance of some phenomenon in the sky said to signal bad weather, such as an incomplete or secondary rainbow, or a parhelion or sun dog; a weather-gall or water-gall.
   • They asked Wattie, who was a very religious man, what could have induced him to gather his sheep on the Sabbath day? He answered, that he had seen an ill-hued weather-gaw that morning, and was afraid it was going to be a drift.1819 April, James Hogg, “Snow-storms”, in The Shepherd’s Calendar. […], volume II, Edinburgh: William Blackwood; London: T[homas] Cadell, published 1829, →OCLC, page 258
2. (Scotland, UK, dialectal, often) A period of fine weather in the midst of bad weather.
   • "This is a fine day after the storm." "Aye, but aa doot it's a weather-gaw."1893–1894, Oliver Heslop, “WEATHER-GAW”, in Northumberland Words. A Glossary of Words Used in the County of Northumberland and on the Tyneside, volume IJ, London: [F]or the English Dialect Society by...