TRILL • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Trill

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noun

Trill n.

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.

The action of the organs in producing such sounds; as, to give a trill to the tongue. d

(Mus.) 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.

verb

Trill v. t. To turn round; to twirl. (Obs.) "Bid him descend and trill another pin."

Trill v. t. (past & past part. trilled; pres. part. trilling) To impart the quality of a trill to; to utter as, or with, a trill; as, to trill the r; to trill a note. "The sober-suited songstress trills her lay."

Trill v. i. To flow in a small stream, or in drops rapidly succeeding each other; to trickle. "And now and then an ample tear trilled down Her delicate cheek." "Whispered sounds Of waters, trilling from the riven stone."

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. "To judge of trilling notes and tripping feet."

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Etymology of 'Trill'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Trill" Quotes from Famous Books

... himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects. One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us. At first it reminded me of the half-whining bark of a young dog, but the deep, guttural trill that followed convinced me that it was a screech-owl, for I remembered having heard ...

— Driven Back to Eden • E. P. Roe

... Fate ordain The Camp thy home, with glancing javelins bright; Or if the graces of that fair domain, Umbrageous Tivoli, thy steps invite; If trumpets sound the clang that Warriors love, Or round thee trill the choirings of the grove, In flowing bowls drown every vain regret, Enjoy the PRESENT, and ...

— Original sonnets on various subjects; and odes paraphrased from Horace • Anna Seward

... of the water, the drone of bees from the hives beneath the eaves of the house. Great bronze butterflies fluttered in the sunshine, brilliant humming-birds plunged deep into the long trumpet-flowers; from the topmost bough of a locust, heavy with bloom, came the liquid trill of a mock-bird. ...

— Prisoners of Hope - A Tale of Colonial Virginia • Mary Johnston

... the Cricket took first fiddle, and kept it. Good Heaven, how it chirped! Its shrill, sharp, piercing voice resounded through the house, and seemed to twinkle in the outer darkness like a star. There was an indescribable little trill and tremble in it at its loudest, which suggested its being carried off its legs, and made to leap again, by its own intense enthusiasm. Yet they went very well together, the Cricket and the kettle. The burden of the song was still the same; and louder, ...

— The Cricket on the Hearth • Charles Dickens

... a trill of laughter. "Here is one that talketh very loud and fool-like and flourisheth iron claw to no purpose, since I heed one ...

— Martin Conisby's Vengeance • Jeffery Farnol

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