arch. Forms: 4–6 trylle, 4–7 trille, (? 5 tryle), 6–7 tril, 6– trill. [Perh. a distinct sense-development of prec. But cf. the synonymous DRILL v.2; also Ger. trillen ‘to flow whirling or rolling,’ cited by Grimm from a 17th-c. writer, and taken by him as a form of drillen to turn.]
1. intr. Of tears, water, a stream: To roll, to flow in a slender stream, the particles of water being in constant revolution, with a more continuous motion than is expressed by trickle; to purl. (Sometimes [as in quot. 1613] including the notion of musical sound, as in TRILL v.3)
13[?]. St. Erkenwolde, 322, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 273. Teres trilled adoun & one þe toumbe lightene.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., 156 (Harl. MS.). With many a teere trilling [v.rr. triklyng, trynkelynge] on my cheeke.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poems, Compar. Love to Stream. From these hie hilles as when a spring doth fall, It trilleth downe with still and suttle course.
1613. W. Browne, Brit. Past., I. v. Two springs arise and delicately trill In gentle chidings through an humble dale.
1667. Dryden & Davenant, Tempest, II. iv. A cold sweat trills down o’er all my limbs.
1769. De Foe’s Tour Gt. Brit., I. 230. Water, which trills through Marble Troughs, one below another.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xxii. A little dell, through which trilled a small rivulet.
b. intr. To flow or run with thrilling effect. (Perh. meant for THRILL v.1 4 b.)
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, I. 71. What Extasies of Joy Trill’d through thy Veins, when … they strok’d thy grizly Beard.
2. trans. To cause to flow in this way. † Trill off, to drain off, drink up (obs.).
c. 1485. E. E. Misc. (Warton Cl.), 65. One truth let ever thi tong tryle.
1589. Nashe, Almond for Parrat, 12 b. A boule of Beere … you tooke … from before him, and trilled it off without anie more bones.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. v. 825. The other [Pelican] … Tears her own bowells, trilleth-out her blood To heal her young.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., To Rdr. 55. The Pumpe of Witt … trills a Coppie, that the Spunges may Lick vp what he hath Squeez’d.
1867. Aug. J. E. Wilson, Vashti, xxv. When I have trilled a fortune into that abhorred vacuum, my pocket, I shall go down to the Tigris, and catch the mate to Tobias’ fish.
† 3. intr. To fall or hang down in a flowing manner; to stream, trail. Obs.
a. 1400. Sir Beues (E.), 1665. Hys heere tryllyd doun too hys ffoote.
c. 1440. Brut, 462. A bawdrik of gold aboute his neck, trillyng doun behynde hym.
1609. Bp. W. Barlow, Answ. Nameless Cath., 11. His Picture drawn with two ropes about his neck, and his bowels (like an other Iudas) trilling downe his body.
Hence Trilling vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1567. Turberv., Pyndara’s Answ. to Tymetes, Epit., etc., 27. Not shed my trilling teares vpon thy moisted face?
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 43. Tears with trilling shal bayne my phisnomye deepelye.
1637. B. Jonson, Sad Sheph., II. ii. Twa trilland Brooks, each (from his Spring) doth meet.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., xx. 129. The droppings or trillings of Lapidescent waters in Vaults under ground.
1713. Steele, Guard., No. 50, ¶ 2. The trilling of rivulets.
