/tɹɪl/, [t̠ʰɹ̠̊ɪl]
OriginFrom Middle English trillen, from Italian trillo, trillare. Compare German trillern, Norwegian trille, Swedish trilla.
- A rapid alternation between an indicated note and the one above it as an ornament; in musical notation usually indicated with the letters tr written above the staff.
- A type of consonantal sound that is produced by vibrations of the tongue against the place of articulation: for example, Spanish ⟨rr⟩, /r/.
- A tremulous high-pitched vocal sound produced by cats.
- intransitiveTo create a trill sound; to utter trills or a trill; to play or sing in tremulous vibrations of sound; to have a trembling sound; to quaver.
“To judge of trilling notes and tripping feet.”
- transitiveTo impart the quality of a trill to; to utter as, or with, a trill.
“to trill a note, or the letter r”
“The sober-suited songstress trills her lay.”
- intransitive, obsoleteTo trickle.
“I come now from seeing of a shepheard at Medoc[…]who had no signe at all of genitorie parts: But where they should be, are three little holes, by which his water doth continually tril from him.”
“And now and then an ample tear trilled down / Her delicate cheek.”
“Whisper'd sounds / Of waters, trilling from the riven stone.”
- intransitive, obsoleteTo twirl.
- slangTrue, respected.
“All my trill niggas know who be bringin da funk / Lees and shell toes like it's Black History Month”
“LAMAR: Oh, really? That's a nice change from fools comin' up on us. / FRANKLIN: That's trill, homie. / LAMAR: You damn straight that's trill, partner, but it's a shame I don't believe it. You wanna dr”
“Middle finger to the critics, me and my nigga Skrillex / You know we finna kill it, A$AP we the trillest”
Formstrills(plural) · trills(present, singular, third-person) · trilling(participle, present) · trilled(participle, past) · trilled(past) · triller(comparative) · trillest(superlative)