Forms: 4–6 trekel, (4 Sc. trygle, 4–5 trikle, trekil, 6 Sc. trigle, -il), 5 trikel, -il, trekyl, -ll, 5–6 trickil, -el, -ell, 6 tryckel, (triccle, trycle, 7 truckle), 6– trickle: see also TRINKLE v.1 [History doubtful. In the first Chaucer passage (sense 1) one MS. out of seven, the Lansdowne, has strikle, which is taken by Prof. Skeat as the original form (the initial s being lost after a prec. word in -s, e.g., teres), and this as a freq. or dim. of ME. sirīken to strike (the reading of two of the Chaucer MSS.) occurring twice elsewhere in sense ‘flow’ (‘ase strem that striketh stille,’ ‘strikeð a stream ut of þæt stanene þruh’), OE. strícan to strike, also to go, move, run. As to form and sense, this is possible; but no other ME. examples of strikle are known, so that the evidence is scanty.
(Cf. however MHG. strîchen to strike, also to move, travel, wander, and Ger. streichen, said of a ship as ‘das Schiff streicht durch die Wellen.’)]
1. intr. a. Originally said of tears: To flow or fall in successive drops.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxii. (Laurentius), 278. Þane laurence handis one hym lad With t[r]ygland terys.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prioress’ T., 222. Hise salte teeris trikled [v.rr. trekelede, stryked, striked, strikled] doun as reyn. Ibid., Sompn. T., 156. With many a teare triklyng [v.rr. trynkelynge, trillyng] on my cheke.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4974. Þar trekild doun of þa teres of iemmes [gems], Boyland out of þe barke bawme & mirre.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. vi. 66 (ed. 1553). Be al thir teris trigilland [ed. Small tringling] ouer my face. Ibid., VI. xi. 14. The teris trigling [ed. Small thringling] ouer his chekis ran.
1548. Udall, Erasm. Par. Luke vii. 74. The fete of Iesus beeyng well washed with teres tryclyng down from hir yies.
1565. Golding, Ovid’s Met., I. (1593), 12. The bitter teares did trickle downe their cheeke.
1702. Pope, Sappho, 200. And silent tears fall trickling from my eyes.
1843. Lever, J. Hinton, xi. Tears of … joy trickled slowly down her checks.
b. Of other liquids; rarely of powders or granulated substances. Also, to flow in a very scanty and halting stream.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 249 b. Yssued out blode & water … lyke droppes tricclyng downe to the grounde.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 583. From his spring heads Trent trickleth downe.
1683. Ware, Hunting of Romish Fox, v. 87. The Blood … ran thrô the crevises of the Crown of Thorns, and truckled down the Face of this Image.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 261. The hill or gullet where the water trickled down from the rocks.
1866. G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., iii. The flour was trickling down out two wooden spouts.
1871. L. Stephen, Playgr. Eur. (1894), x. 241. A small glacier trickles into the desolate valley.
c. transf. and fig.
1628. [see TRICKLING vbl. sb.]
1728. Pope, Dunc., III. 201. Fluent nonsense trickles from his tongue.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 7, ¶ 4. The rivulets of intelligence which are continually trickling.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 5. What can be more wonderful than to see a man’s thoughts trickling from the end of his pen at the rate of nearly a word a second!
1901. Scotsman, 11 March, 9/1. Then another thousand rupees came trickling in.
2. intr. To emit falling or flowing drops; to drip or run (with tears, blood, etc.); to shed tears.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 8058. Yf the ton ee with teres trickell on hir chekes.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 32. Fast he stood: and trickling dyd speake.
1611. Bible, Lam. iii. 49. Mine eye trickleth downe and ceaseth not.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. ix. His hand was trickling down with blood.
3. trans. To emit or give forth in successive drops or a thin fitful stream; also, to cause to trickle; to pour drop by drop, or in a fitful stream.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., V. v. The vaines … Trickling fresh goare about my fist.
1671. Woodhead, St. Teresa, I. xxii. 147. We behold him … trickling blood.
1746–7. Hervey, Medit. (1818), 186. Ye gushing Fountains, that trickle potable silver through the matted grass.
1854. Dickens, Hard T., II. i. The mills … oozed and trickled it [oil].
1863. Reade, Hard Cash, xxi. With adroit and tender hands they … trickled stimulants down her throat.
1878. T. L. Cuyler, Pointed Papers, 144. He knows every wound that trickles its silent drops from the bleeding spirit.
b. fig. with off or out: To let go one by one.
1657. Reeve, God’s Plea, 26. Thus doth the voluptuous man measure out his time, trickle out his hours.
1907. Blackw. Mag., July, 36/2. The company commanders begin to trickle off their men.
