Throstle

Forms: α. 1–3 þrostle, 4 þrostel, -yl, 4–5 throstel(e, 5 -elle, -il, -yl(l, 7 throssel, throssle, (thrassel), 5– throstle. β. 4 þrustel(e, 4–8 thrustle, 5 -ille, -yll(e, 5–6 thrustel(l, 6 -ele, 7 thrussel. γ. 4 þrestel, thristill, (5 thyrstylle), 6 threstyll, thrissell, 8 thrissel, thristle, thrystle. [OE. þrostle or ? þróstle, wk. fem. For þróstle, cf. MLG. drôsle (Low Ger. dial. dråssel, draussel, drausele), app. pointing to an OTeut. *þramstala (Kluge). For þrostle, cf. MHG. drostel, the root-form of which appears in ON. þrǫstr (Norw. trost, trast, Sw. trast, Da. trost):—OTeut. *þrastu^z, commonly referred to Indo-Eur. *trozdu-s, whence L. turdus (*trzdo-), OPruss. tresde, and Lett. strazds, Lith. strãzdas, all meaning ‘thrush.’ Cf. also OSlav. drozg^u and Russ. drozd^u. (See Suolahti, Deutsche Vogelnamen, 1909, 51–4.)

  App. in origin distinct from THRUSH, though the derivative forms of the latter, thruschel, thrusshill in ME., droschel, druschel in Ger., come very near to throstle, thrustle, and MHG. drostel. The vocalization of ME. thrustel, thristel, threstyl, etc., seems also to have been influenced by that of thrusche, thrysshe, threshe, thrishel, etc.: see THRUSH¹]

  1.  A thrush; esp. the song-thrush or mavis, Turdus musicus. Now only literary and dial.

  In many ME. passages, esp. in alliterative verse, ‘throstle’ and ‘thrush’ are distinguished, and in several cases, e.g., quots. c. 900, 1303, c. 1449, and (?) 1601, throstle is applied to the blackbird. In quot. 1303, the original Fr. has in one MS. ‘Le oysel est merle apelé, Neir est [v.r. Veu l’ay] en yuer & en este.’ Chaucer, also, in Rom. Rose, 665, translates ‘Melles [? merles] et mauvis,’ Thrustels, Terins, and Mauise.

c. 725.  Corpus Gloss. (O.E.T.), 2068. Turdella, ðrostle.

c. 900.  Wærferth, trans. Gregory’s Dial., 100. Sum swyþe sweart & lytel fuʓel, se is on folcisc þrostle ʓehaten.

956.  Charter of Eadwig, in Birch, Cart. Sax., III. 141. Of þam lea on þrostlan wyl.

a. 1250.  Owl & Night., 1659. Þaruore anan to hire cherde Þrusche and þrostle and wudewale.

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 7480. A fend of helle Yn a lykenes of a bryd. A ‘þrostyl’ ys þe name kyd.

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 820. Boþe þe þrusch & þe þrustele bi xxxti of boþe.

13[?].  Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xlvi. 181. Þe þrestel song ful schille.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, V. 4. Byrdis smale, As thristill and þe nychtingale.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 237. Whan somer is hote Þrostel syngeþ wiþ mery note.

1403.  Nottingham Rec., II. 20. j. caige cum j. throstyll.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 493/1. Thrustylle, bryd (P. thrusshill or thrustyll), merula.

c. 1450.  Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.), 188. Turdus auis est. g[allice] mauuys, an[glice] throstle.

1483.  Cath. Angl., 386/2. A Throstelle, mauiscus.

1601.  Holland, Pliny (1634), I. 293. Agrippina the Empresse … had a Black-bird or a Throstle … which could counterfeit mans speech.

1604.  Drayton, Owle, 1259. The jocund Throstle, for his varying Note, Clad by the Eagle in a speckled Cote.

1661.  Walton, Angler, i. (ed. 3), 10. How doth the Black-bird and Thrassel … bid welcome to the cheerful Spring!

1668.  Charleton, Onomast., 83. Turdus,… the Thrush, Song-Thrush, Throssle, or Mavis.

1766.  Pennant, Zool. (1768), I. 226. The throstle is the finest of our singing birds.

1798.  Wordsw., Tables Turned, iv. And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!

1841.  Browning, Pippa Passes. Oh, Lark, be day’s apostle To mavis, merle and throstle.

  2.  A spinning-machine for cotton, wool, etc., a modification of that originally called a water-frame; differing from a mule in having a continuous action, the processes of drawing, twisting, and winding being carried on simultaneously.

  As to the reason of the name see quot. 1877.

1825.  J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 387. This construction of a water spinning-frame is called a throstle.

1835.  Ure, Philos. Manuf., 110. Both systems of spinning, namely, the continuous or by throstles, and the discontinuous or by mules.

1876.  J. Watts, Brit. Manuf., III. 138. The throstle, an extension and modification of the original spinning-frame,… is employed in the spinning of yarn for warps.

1877.  Knight, Dict. Mech., s.v., The throstle derived its name from the singing or humming which it occasioned.

  3.  attrib. and Comb. a. in sense 1, as throstle-throat, -wing; throstle-like adj.; throstle-breast (Mining): see quot.; throstle-nest, applied attrib. to a form of stag’s horn (see quot. 1785). See also THROSTLE-COCK.

1747.  Hooson, Miner’s Dict., *Throstle-brest, a kind of Ore or rather Knockings, mixt with a brown Tuft.

1902.  F. Campbell, in Temple Bar Mag., CXXVI. 106. Mary’s *throstle-like voice.

1785.  Barker, in Phil. Trans., LXXV. 354. Horns … which park-keepers in this part of the country call *throstle-nest horns,… the upper part … is branched out into a number of short antlers which form an hollow about large enough to contain a thrush’s nest.

1898.  Westm. Gaz., 5 March, 8/1. Antlers of the ‘throstle nest’ type.

17[?].  Jolly Hind Squire, viii., in Child, Ballads, II. (1884), 429/2. The *thristle-throat is the next that sings Unto the nightingale.

1681.  Chetham, Angler’s Vade-m., xxxiv. § 14 (1689), 190. Feathers of … *Throstle-wing.

  b.  in sense 2, as throstle-frame (= 2), -piecer (PIECER 2), -spindle, -spinner, -spinning, -yarn.

1835.  Ure, Philos. Manuf., 23. The water-twist, or throstle cotton mills. Ibid., 40. A throstle frame made in the best manner. Ibid., 71. The throstle twist, which has been so largely exported of late years.

1844.  G. Dodd, Textile Manuf., i. 35. The roller principle, modified in a manner … represented by the throstle machine, is that by which the strong and hard yarns are produced.

1862.  Illustr. Lond. News, XLI. 558/3. The Throstle Spinner … has an assistant, called the Throstle Doffer, a little girl or boy.

1884.  W. S. B. McLaren, Spinning, vii. (ed. 2), 150. There are four methods of spinning worsted, three of which come under the head of throstle frames…. The fourth is the mule.