trill

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English trillen, from Italian trillo, trillare. Compare Norwegian trille, Swedish trilla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɹɪl/,
• Rhymes: -ɪl

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

trill (plural trills)

1. (music) 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.
2. (phonetics) A type of consonantal sound that is produced by vibrations of the tongue against the place of articulation: for example, Spanish ⟨rr⟩, /r/.
3. A tremulous high-pitched vocal sound produced by cats.

Derived terms

• trilly

Translations

Verb

trill (third-person singular simple present trills, present participle trilling, simple past and past participle trilled)

1. (intransitive) To 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.
   • 1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy:

     To judge of trilling notes and tripping feet.

2. (transitive) To impart the quality of a trill to; to utter as, or with, a trill.

   to trill a note, or the letter r

   • 1727, James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, London: A Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, , published 1768, →OCLC:

     The sober-suited songstress trills her lay.

Synonyms

• roll

Derived terms

• triller

Translations

Further reading

• trill (music) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• trill consonant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

Perhaps identical to Etymology 3, but compare the same sense of drill, and German trillen, drillen.

Verb

trill (third-person singular simple present trills, present participle trilling, simple past and past participle trilled)

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To trickle.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 30, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book II, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:

     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.

   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     And now and then an ample tear trilled down / Her delicate cheek.

   • 1737, Richard Glover, Leonidas Book

     Whisper'd sounds / Of waters, trilling from the riven stone.

Etymology 3

Probably related to Old English þweran (“to twirl, stir”). Compare twirl, thirl, and Swedish trilla, Norwegian trille, etc.

Verb

trill (third-person singular simple present trills, present participle trilling, simple past and past participle trilled)

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To twirl.

Related terms

• tirl

Etymology 4

Perhaps a blend of true +‎ real.

Adjective

trill (comparative triller, superlative trillest)

1. (slang, hip-hop culture) True, respected.
   • 2007, “Black History Month”, in The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, performed by Saul Williams:

     All my trill niggas know who be bringin da funk / Lees and shell toes like it's Black History Month

   • 2013, Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games, level/area: Repossession:

     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 drop some notes on that shit, I'll give you the odds, homie.

   • 2013, “Wild for the Night”, performed by A$AP Rocky:

     Middle finger to the critics, me and my nigga Skrillex / You know we finna kill it, A$AP we the trillest

Albanian

Noun

trill m or f (plural trillime, definite trilli, definite plural trillimet)

1. whim, tantrum, bizarre fantasy

Derived terms

• trilloj

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

trill

1. imperative of trille