Also 4–8 trebble, 6 -il; 5 trebel, -yl(le, -ille, -ull, 6 treabell, 6–7 -ble, 7 Sc. treeble; 5 tribull, 5–6 Sc. trib(b)ill, 5–7 trible, 7–8 (9 dial.) tribblE; 5 tryble, -ylle; (6 trouble). [a. OF. treble, trebble, treuble, etc. (12th c. in Godef.):—pop.L. triplus for L. triplex. See also prec.]
A. adj. 1. Consisting of three members, things, or sets combined; threefold; made of three thicknesses or layers of material; = TRIPLE a. 1.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., IV. metr. vii. 115 (Camb. MS.). He drowh cerberus the hownd of helle by his treble cheyne.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton), I. xxv. (1859), 30. Byndyng with double and treble boundes.
a. 1673. J. Caryl, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cxl. 3. Serpents are … said to have a treble tongue, because, moving their tongue so fast, they seem to have three tongues.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, X. 1112. Thro’ treble Plates it went Of solid Brass.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xviii. II. 107. A treble inclosure of brick walls was defended by a deep ditch.
1832. R. & J. Lander, Exped. Niger, II. xii. 183. They had formed themselves into a large treble circle.
1907. C. Hill-Tout, Brit. N. Amer., Far West, vii. 130. A kind of shirt of double or treble elk-hide.
b. Of actions, conditions, etc.: Of threefold character or application; existing or occurring in three ways or relations; of three kinds.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 159. Thus the worchen treble sinne, That ben flatours aboute a king.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 1529. The feend thoght crist to tempt be treble vice.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. lx. 6. The greate men were dubble and trebble traytours.
1694. F. Bragge, Disc. Parables, vii. 238. It would be a double and treble charity; ’twould provide for the happiness of both body and soul.
1818. Scott, Br. Lamm., xii. It was attended with a treble difficulty.
1886. F. Harrison, Choice Bks., iii. 49. Every part and episode has its double and treble meaning.
c. Three times as much or as many; of three times the number or amount; triple.
1423. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 257/2. Uppon peine de inprisonement … and trible dammages to the partie greved.
1489. Barbour’s Bruce, XVIII. 30 (Edin. MS.). Schir Eduard … said, that he suld fecht that day, Thouch tribill and quatribill war thai.
1563. W. Cothe, in 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. II. 32. It is not treble the company we have here, that is able to defend it.
1664. M. Fell, in Extr. S. P. rel. Friends, II. (1911), 187. People had theire goods distreaned trible the vallue of their fines.
1788. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 526. It sells … for treble the price of common whale oil.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 156. The roller A, moving with a treble surface velocity.
2. Mus. Of, pertaining to, or suited to the highest part in harmonized musical composition.
Treble voice: a voice ranging from about middle C to a twelfth or two octaves above it; a soprano voice. Treble clef: the G clef when placed (as usually) upon the second line of the stave.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 501/1. Treblesonge (K. treble of orgene songe, S. trebyl songe), precentus. Ibid. Trebyl syngare.
1530. Palsgr., 286/1. Wayte treble, bussine.
1674. Playford, Skill Mus., 43. Increasing of the Voice in the Treble Part … doth oftentimes become harsh.
1678. Phillips (ed. 4), Treble, the highest part in Musick, called in Latin Altus.
1801. Busby, Dict. Mus., Introd. 23. The Treble-cliff is used for the first or shrillest class, both of voice and instruments.
1876. Stainer & Barrett, Dict. Mus. Terms (1898), s.v., The treble or soprano voice is the most flexible of all vocal registers.
b. Hence in the names of musical instruments (or strings) of the highest pitch. Cf. bass, tenor.
Treble bell: the smallest bell of a peal.
1530. Palsgr., 282/2. Treble stryng of an instrument, chanterelle.
1595–6. in Swayne, Sarum Churchw. Acc. (1896), 145. A Rope for ye Treabell bell, 2s. 5d.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., III. ii. 351. The Case of a Treble Hoeboy was a Mansion for him.
1674. Playford, Skill Mus., 109. The Treble-Violin is a cheerful and spritely Instrument.
1872. Ellacombe, Ch. Bells Devon, etc. 235. In 1718, two treble bells were added to the peal of S. Bride’s.
c. High-pitched; high or sharp in tone; shrill.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 110. In hir treble voyce, she fell so to cacklyng.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., III. Wks. 1856, I. 35. What trebble minikin squeaks here?
1727. Gay, Fables, xlvi. 15. A village cur,… Imagined that his treble throat Was blest with music’s sweetest note.
1860. Geo. Eliot, Mill on Fl., III. vi. Bob spoke with a sharp and rather treble volubility.
† d. ? Upper. Obs. rare.
1551. Gray’s N. Y. Gift, iii., in Furniv., Ball. fr. MSS., I. 418. Yet at this presence—ye shall vnderstand—The papest be Ranke, and on the treble band: Som comfford thé have; I cannott tell howe.
3. Special collocations. Treble bar, treble gold stripe, collectors’ names for various moths: see quots. Treble hook, a fish-hook consisting of three single hooks fastened back to back. † Treble letter, a letter consisting of three sheets formerly charged triple postage (obs.). Treble lock, a lock operating by three turns of the key. Treble star, three stars so near (really or visually) as not to be separately visible without a telescope. † Treble time (obs.), triple time. See also in 2.
1832. Rennie, Conspect. Butterfl. & Moths, 201. The Tawny *Treble Bar (Argyromiges trifasciella, Curtis) … Wings … with three somewhat straight, equidistant, brown bands. Ibid. The *Treble Gold Stripe (Argyromiges tristigella, Stephens). Wings … tawny-brown, with a straight silvery-golden band before, and a second in the middle.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Treble-block, one fitted with three sheaves or rollers.
1895. Outing (U.S.), XXVII. 222/2. Attached to each line were a sinker and a *treble hook, i. e., three hooks soldered together at such angles that when a fish has once gorged the thing, disgorgement is almost an impossibility.
1753. Scots Mag., July, 328/2. The rates of double letters, are always double; of *treble letters, treble.
1805. Act 45 Geo. III., c. 11 § 1. For every single letter one penny; for every double letter twopence; for every treble letter or other letter under an ounce in weight three-pence.
1661. Baxter, Moral Prognost., II. xxi. 50. There shall be a *Treble-Lock upon the Door of the Ministry.
1782. Herschel, in Phil. Trans., LXXII. 100. The beautiful *treble star in Monoceros’s right fore-foot.
1686. Plot, Staffordsh., ix. 371. Seven bells rung together in peal…. Their number excludes them, from ever being brought, either into common or *treble time.
B. adv. I. In three ranks or rows, threefold; to three times the extent; three times over; trebly.
13[?]. K. Alis., 6696. In hire mouth buth teth treble set.
1552. Huloet, Treble, tripliciter.
1563. A. Nevell, in B. Googe, Eglogs, etc. (Arb.), 87. All these conclude him blest … And trible blest agayne.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, V. i. And I’ll deserve it treble.
1675. Wood, Life, 18 Sept. (O.H.S.), II. 322. Piers was double or treble paid by Dr. Fell.
1708. Constit. Watermen’s Co., lvii. Every person offending therein, shall forfeit … treble as much as he or they respectively shall demand.
2. In a high-pitched tone; shrilly.
1811. [implied in treble-skirling: see C. 2].
C. Combinations.
1. The adj. in combination. a. with sbs., as treble-coursing, the division of an air-current in a mine into three courses or channels; treble-seam (Cricket slang), a leathern cricket-ball stitched with three seams; treble-tree, an arrangement of swingle-trees for three horses abreast.
1897. Globe, 9 July, 1/5. The old bowler … declared there was a lot of human nature in a *treble-seam.
1877. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Treble-tree, a whiffletree for three horses. An equalizer.
b. Parasynthetic combs. forming adjs., as treble-barrel[l]ed, -breathed, -caped, -eyed, -headed, -mailed, -piled, -rampired, -seated, -sinewed; treble-voiced, having a treble or soprano voice.
1805. Morning Post, 28 Nov., 2/3. Mr. Oddy, however, being armed with a brace of *treble-barrelled pistols,… declaring he had no fear of being attacked.
1818. Morning Chron., 19 Dec., 3/5. Mr. Parkins entered amongst them with a pair of treble-barreled pistols.
1784. New Spectator, No. 1. 4. The ladies have assumed the *treble-caped great coat and belt.
1825. Vermont Jrnl., 7 Nov., 1/5. Displayed her passion for the grotesque in double and *treble eyed apples, hermaphrodite flowers, [etc.].
1805. Med. Jrnl., XIV. 92. How our *treble-headed Pithon is to be augmented and increased.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., xxxvi. Gnawed by a double, a treble-headed grief.
1611. Cotgr., Tremaillé, *treble-mailed.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xxiv. Velvet, single, double, *treble-piled.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. IV., cxvii. As the wings of long-lost Day Breakes *treble-Rampierd Clouds.
1808. Bentham, Sc. Reform, 36. The permanent substitution of *treble-seated … to single-seated judicature.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., III. xiii. 178. I will be *trebble-sinewed, hearted, breath’d.
1552. Huloet, *Treble voyced, or shyll tuned, acutus, a, um.
c. With sbs., forming adjectives or attributive phrases, as treble-cylinder, treble-shovel; treble-bite, treble-wedge-fast, systems of breech-action in hand-guns.
1892. Greener, Breech-Loader, 22. With an efficient holding-down bolt, engaging with it as in the *treble-bite breech-action.
1877. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Treble-cylinder Steam-engine, an engine having a pair of large cylinders for the continuation of the expansion, one at each side of the small cylinder. Ibid., *Treble-Shovel Plow, one having three shares. A form of cultivator.
1881. Greener, Gun, 174. Our patent *treble-wedge-fast action, with either hammerless or back-action locks and low hammers.
2. The adv. in comb. a. with pples., forming adjectives, as treble-brandished, -damned, -refined, -ribbed, -riveted, -twisted, etc.; treble-dated, living three times as long (as man); (in sense B. 2) treble-skirling. b. with vbs., as treble-man, -shot.
1877. Tennyson, Harold, I. i. Yon grimly-glaring, *treble-brandish’d scourge.
1824. Coleridge, Lett. to J. Gillman, 2 Nov. (1895), II. 730. If he be not a *treble-damned liar.
1601. Shaks., Phœnix & T., 17. Thou *treble-dated crow,… ’Mongst our mourners shalt thou go.
1805. Pike, Sources Mississ. (1810), 51. We were obliged to take on but one sled at a time and *treble man it.
1694. Salmon, Bate’s Dispens., II. vi. (1713), 604/2. With its equal Weight of *trebble-refined Sugar.
1896. Daily News, 14 Nov., 6/6. Besides deed-boxes, there were other receptacles … some *treble-ribbed with iron or copper.
1662. Gerbier, Princ., 18. Casements *treble riveted, to keep out Wind and Rain.
1874. Thearle, Naval Archit., 131. For treble-riveted butt straps, nineteen diameters in breadth are required by Lloyd’s.
1884. H. Collingwood, Under Meteor Flag, 74. Request Mr. Flinn to *treble-shot his larboard broadside.
1811. W. Tennant, Anster Concert, xiii. High o’er the tenor sounded shrill The *treble-skirling women.
1867. Baker, Nile Tribut., ii. (1872), 32. A powerful hook, fitted upon *treble-twisted wire.
