[f. prec. Cf. OF. trebler (13th c. in Godef.).]
1. trans. To make three times as many or as great; to increase threefold; to multiply by three.
a. 1325. MS. Rawl. B. 520, lf. 32. Ȝif þe contreie … ne ansuuerez noȝt … þe peine sal ben itrebbled.
c. 1430. Art of Nombryng xi. (E.E.T.S.), 17. Thow most trebille the digit.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., III. ii. 302. Double sixe thousand, and then treble that.
1666. Sancroft, Lex Ignea, 28. His Insolence doubles and trebles the Vexation.
1720. Lond. Gaz., No. 5833/2. Which trebles the Duty … payable by the Exporter.
1885. Dunckley, in Manch. Exam., 20 July, 6/1. During the present century the population has just about trebled itself.
b. To fold in three thicknesses; to make in three layers.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 62. Caparisons for their horses made of leather artificially doubled or trebled vpon their bodies.
1638. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (ed. 2), 316. A Cambolin of pure lawn … trebled on and about their naked shoulders.
c. To be three times as many or as much as.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 115. Madein, A coyne of siluer that trebles the Asper for value.
1842. Borrow, Bible in Spain, xxxiv. (Pelh. Libr.), 250. A body of the Carlists,… whose numbers more than trebled his own.
2. intr. (for refl.) To grow to three times the number, amount, or size; to become threefold.
1625. Fletcher, Noble Gent., II. i. Now I see your Fathers honours Trebling upon you.
1797–8. Wellington, in Owen, Desp. (1877), 777. It has more than trebled since the peace of ’83.
1815. Simond, Tour Gt. Brit., I. 170. The rent of land has trebled in the last fifty years.
1882. Pebody, Eng. Journalism, xix. 145. Mr. Levy reduced the price of the paper…. The circulation doubled, trebled, quadrupled.
† 3. intr. To emit a high-pitched or shrill sound; also, to sing the treble part to (const. upon) the lower parts or plain-song in a harmonized composition (in quots. fig.). Obs.
c. 1425. Cast. Persev., 1900, in Macro Plays, 134. I here trumpys trebelen al of tene.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Wks. (1866), I. 458. A nightingale … when she is in a pleasant vein, quavers and capers, and trebles upon it.
1606. S. Gardiner, Bk. Angling, 103. The singster of Israel hath … giuen vs the Notes wee must alwayes treble vppon.
† b. trans. To utter in a high-pitched or shrill tone. Obs. rare–1.
1616. Chapman, Homer’s Hymn to Hermes, 645. He outrageously (when I accus’d him) trebled his reply.
Hence Trebled ppl. a., made treble, threefold.
c. 1400[?]. Lydg., Æsop’s Fab., i. 23. With trebled [v.r. treble] laudis yeve to the trynité.
1653. R. Sanders, Physiogn., Moles, etc., 38. Divide the trebled number into two.
a. 1711. Ken, Preparatives, Wks. 1721, IV. 43. While I by trebled Zeal and Tears Strive to retrieve my careless Years.
