Also 5 brell, prylle. [Origin and etymological form (brill, prill or perl) unknown.
(The Cornish brilli, contr. of brithelli (pl. of brithel) ‘mackerel’ (Williams), agrees in phonetic form, but has no connection in sense, and there is no evidence of confusion as to the two fish. The English is also probably older than the contracted form of the Cornish word.)]
A kind of flat-fish (Rhombus vulgaris), allied to, and resembling the Turbot, but inferior in flavor.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (1841), 105. For … ij solys, a prylle, and xij. whytynges. Ibid., 120. For an haddok and a brell vj.d.
1740. R. Brookes, Art of Angling, Index, Brill or Pearl.
1830. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., II. 181. The brill is longer and narrower than the turbot: the brill has scales on both sides, the turbot has thorns on the back and no scales on the other side.
1873. Miss Broughton, Nancy, I. 81. I have heard … that he does not care about brill, but worships John Dory.
