Obs. Forms: 5 treylle, 5–6 trayle, traile, 6 trayll, treyle, 8 treil, 7–8 trail. [Late ME. treylle, trayle, app. a. OF. treille, traille ‘a bower or arbour of vine branches sustained by trellis-work’ (Littré), also trellis, lattice work grating, grill (for window, door, etc.) = Pr. treilla, trelha:—L. trichila, later also tricla, bower, arbor, summerhouse: see also TRELLIS sb.2]
1. A latticed structure for training climbing plants upon; a trellis.
c. 1460. Sir R. Ros, La Belle Dame, 184. I me withdrew … And set me down aloon, behynd a trayle Ful of leves,… With grene withies y-bounden.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Brachium, Brachiata vinea, a vine hauyng longe branches vpon trayles.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., I. 132. Muscat-Grapes … ripen not so well when raised upon high Trails.
1727. Bradley’s Fam. Dict., s.v. Gardener, To cut the Trees and Pallisades when there is need of it, as well as the Treils and Arbours.
2. A lattice; a grating; a grill.
1485. Caxton, Paris & V. (1868), 64. Or they entred they opened a treylle whyche gaf lyght in to the pryson.
c. 1500. Melusine, 328. He fonde a grete yron trayll, wherin were closed a hondred men … that the geaunt held for hys prysonners.
1552. Elyot, Clatro … to shutte a wyndowe, specially a lattise window: To close with lattise grates, or treyles.
