Word Study
trill
CIDE DICTIONARY
trill, v. i. [OE. trillen to roll, turn round; of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. trilla to roll, Dan. trilde, Icel. to whirl, and E. thrill. Cf. Thrill.].
To flow in a small stream, or in drops rapidly succeeding each other; to trickle. Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
"And now and then an ample tear trilled down
Her delicate cheek." [1913 Webster]
Her delicate cheek." [1913 Webster]
"Whispered sounds
Of waters, trilling from the riven stone." [1913 Webster]
Of waters, trilling from the riven stone." [1913 Webster]
trill, v. t. [OE. trillen; cf. Sw. trilla to roll.].
To turn round; to twirl. Gascoigne. [1913 Webster]
"Bid him descend and trill another pin." [1913 Webster]
trill, v. t. [It. trillare; probably of imitative origin.].
To impart the quality of a trill to; to utter as, or with, a trill; as, to trill the r ; to trill a note. [1913 Webster]
"The sober-suited songstress trills her lay." [1913 Webster]
trill, v. i.
To utter trills or a trill; to play or sing in tremulous vibrations of sound; to have a trembling sound; to quaver. [1913 Webster]
"To judge of trilling notes and tripping feet." [1913 Webster]
trill, n. [It. trillo, fr. trillare. See Trill to shake.].
- A sound, of consonantal character, made with a rapid succession of partial or entire intermissions, by the vibration of some one part of the organs in the mouth -- tongue, uvula, epiglottis, or lip -- against another part; as, the r is a trill in most languages. [1913 Webster]
- The action of the organs in producing such sounds; as, to give a trill to the tongue. d [1913 Webster]
- A shake or quaver of the voice in singing, or of the sound of an instrument, produced by the rapid alternation of two contiguous tones of the scale; as, to give a trill on the high C. See Shake. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
trill, n. & v.
--n.
1 a quavering or vibratory sound, esp. a rapid alternation of sung or played notes.
2 a bird's warbling sound.
3 the pronunciation of r with a vibration of the tongue.
--v.
1 intr. produce a trill.
2 tr. warble (a song) or pronounce (r etc.) with a trill.
--n.
1 a quavering or vibratory sound, esp. a rapid alternation of sung or played notes.
2 a bird's warbling sound.
3 the pronunciation of r with a vibration of the tongue.
--v.
1 intr. produce a trill.
2 tr. warble (a song) or pronounce (r etc.) with a trill.
Etymology
It. trillo (n.), trillare (v.)
THESAURUS
trill
Bebung, anthem, babble, ballad, bubble, burble, cackle, call, carol, caw, chant, chatter, cheep, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitter, choir, chorus, chuck, clack, cluck, cock-a-doodle-doo, coo, croak, cronk, croon, crow, cuckoo, descant, distill, do-re-mi, dribble, drip, drop, drum, falter, flutter, gabble, gaggle, gobble, guggle, gurgle, honk, hoo, hoot, hum, hymn, intonate, intone, lap, leak, leak out, lilt, minstrel, peep, pip, pipe, plash, psalm, purl, quack, quaver, quiver, ripple, roll, roulade, scold, serenade, shake, sing, sing in chorus, slosh, sol-fa, solmizate, splash, squawk, swash, swish, tremble, tremolando, tremolant, tremolo, tremor, trickle, trillet, trilleto, trillo, troll, tweedle, tweedledee, tweet, twit, twitter, vibrato, vocalize, warble, wash, weep, whistle, yodelROGET THESAURUS
trill
River
VB flow, run, meander, gush, pour, spout, roll, jet, well, issue, drop, drip, dribble, plash, spirtle, trill, trickle, distill, percolate, stream, overflow, inundate, deluge, flow over, splash, swash, guggle, murmur, babble, bubble, purl, gurgle, sputter, spurt, spray, regurgitate, ooze, flow out, rain hard, rain in torrents, rain cats and dogs, rain pitchforks, pour with rain, drizzle, spit, set in, mizzle, flow into, fall into, open into, drain into, discharge itself, disembogue, pour, pour out, shower down, irrigate, drench, spill, splash, stanch, dam, up, obstruct.Roll
VB roll, drum, rumble, rattle, clatter, patter, clack, bombinate, hum, trill, shake, chime, peal, toll, tick, beat, drum in the ear, din in the ear.Ululation
VB cry, roar, bellow, blare, rebellow, growl, snarl, bark, bow-wow, yelp, bay, bay at the moon, yap, yip, yipe, growl, yarr, yawl, snarl, howl, grunt, gruntle, snort, squeak neigh, whinny, bray, mew, mewl, meow, purr, caterwaul, pule, baa, bleat, low, moo, troat, croak, peep, coo, gobble, quack, honk, gaggle, guggle, crow, caw, squawk, screech cackle, cluck, clack, chuck, chuckle, hoot, hoo, chirp, cheep, chirrup, twitter, cuckoo, warble, trill, tweet, pipe, whistle, hum, buzz, hiss, blatter, ratatat.Musician
VB play, pipe, strike up, sweep the chords, tweedle, fiddle, strike the lyre, beat the drum, blow the horn, sound the horn, wind the horn, doodle, grind the organ, touch the guitar, thrum, strum, beat time, execute, perform, accompany, sing a second, play a second, compose, set to music, arrange, sing, chaunt, chant, hum, warble, carol, chirp, chirrup, lilt, purl, quaver, trill, shake, twitter, whistle, sol-fa, intone, have an ear for music, have a musical ear, have a correct ear.For further exploring for "trill" in Webster Dictionary Online
