sicced?

[mkenuk]

sicced. A common word from yesterday's 10-letter (disconnect). Even the Free Dictionary shows it as a 'dialectal variant' of 'seek'. My COD and Chambers don't have it at all. Surely a candidate for the 'uncommon' box?
MK

[birdy]

I would never have known that definition for sicced.

The only way I've ever seen/heard it used is in the sense of someone encouraging his dog (or by extension, his followers) to attack someone, e.g. "John sicced his dog Rover on the trespassing cat."

[mkenuk]

That's the meaning that's given for the word, but I don't think we use it in UK; we'd probably just say 'set his dogs on the intruders'. BTW, The FD also gives an alternative spelling of 'sicked'. 'He sicked his dogs on the intruders'. Conjures up some strange images!
MK

[pat]

It is used in the UK, MK. I know it, with that spelling, in the same way as birdy.

[mkenuk]

In which case, I stand corrected. I haven't lived in UK for more than 30 years, so I'm not really aware of what is and isn't current usage. I've certainly heard the word used (in films for instance), but I can't say I've ever seen it written down.
MK

[birdy]

So much less elegant (or at least less literary) than to cry "Havoc" when you let slip your dogs of war.

[Alan W]

This word is now classed as rare, as is siccing.