trill

¹

[ tril ]

verb (used with object)

1. to sing or play with a vibratory or quavering effect.
2. Phonetics. to produce (a sound) with a trill.
3. (of birds, insects, etc.) to sing or utter in a succession of rapidly alternating sounds.

verb (used without object)

1. to resound vibrantly, or with a rapid succession of sounds, as the voice, song, or laughter.

   Synonyms: vibrate, tremble, quaver

2. to utter or make a sound or succession of sounds resembling such singing, as a bird, frog, grasshopper, or person laughing.

   Synonyms: warble, twitter, tweet, sing, peep, chirrup, chirp, cheep

3. to execute a shake or trill with the voice or on a musical instrument.
4. Phonetics. to execute a trill, especially with the tongue, as while singing, talking, or whistling.

noun

1. the act or sound of trilling.
2. Music. a rapid alternation of two adjacent tones; a shake.
3. a similar sound, or succession of sounds, uttered or made by a bird, an insect, a person laughing, etc.

   Synonyms: song, pipe, peep, chirrup, chirr, chirp, cheep, call, birdsong, twitter, tweet

4. Phonetics.
   1. a sequence of repetitive, rapid, vibratory movements produced in any free articulator or membrane by a rush of air expelled from the lungs and often causing a corresponding sequence of contacts between the vibrating articulator and another organ or surface.
   2. a speech sound produced by such a trill.

trill

²

[ tril ]

verb (used without object)

1. to flow in a thin stream; trickle.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to flow in a thin stream.

trill

¹

/ trɪl /

verb

1. an archaic or poetic word for trickle

trill

²

/ trɪl /

noun

1. music a melodic ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between a principal note and the note a whole tone or semitone above it Usual symbolwritten above a notetr.tr
2. a shrill warbling sound, esp as made by some birds
3. phonetics
   1. the articulation of an (r) sound produced by holding the tip of the tongue close to the alveolar ridge, allowing the tongue to make a succession of taps against the ridge
   2. the production of a similar effect using the uvula against the back of the tongue

verb

1. to sound, sing, or play (a trill or with a trill)
2. tr to pronounce (an (r) sound) by the production of a trill

Word History and Origins

Origin of trill¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Italian trillo, triglio “quaver or warble in singing,” ultimately from Germanic; compare Dutch trillen “to vibrate,” late Middle English trillen “to shake or rock (something)”

Origin of trill²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English trillen “to make (something) turn, to roll, flow (said of tears, water),” from Old Danish trijlæ “to roll” (said, e.g., of tears and of a wheelbarrow); compare Norwegian trille , Swedish trilla; trill ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of trill¹

C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Norwegian trilla to roll; see trill ¹

Origin of trill²

C17: from Italian trillo , from trillare , apparently from Middle Dutch trillen to vibrate

Example Sentences

Up on stage, Chelsea Parrott danced and trilled, having swapped her county role as a senior services specialist for her “Pirates” role as a singing maiden.

From Seattle Times

While some find the buzzes, chirps and trills soothing or exciting, for others, the bugs are annoying or irritating.

From New York Times

Then he hopped off the Speaking Stump and danced around, making a lot of chirping, trilling noises.

From Literature

She folded trills, stops and sweet harmonics into unbroken lines, and when she harmonized with herself, she utilized the plushness and patience familiar from her Bach recordings.

From New York Times

“Oh my God, hello!” she trills at rows of dogs who respond with matching enthusiasm.

From Los Angeles Times

About This Word

What else does trill mean?

Trill is a blend of true and real, used in hip-hop slang for someone or something that is genuine and authentic.

Where does trill come from?

Well before the slang trill, English had many meanings for it, most notably for a “tremulous” sound in music (1600s) or for the vibrating sound of an R in languages like Spanish (1800s).

The slang trill is unrelated, blending the words true and real. Being trill means being authentic and working hard for your aspirations. In hip-hop culture, being trill is a testament that one is tough and can bounce back—and never forgetting one’s humble roots with success, wealth, and fame.

The hip-hop duo UGK was one of the first to use the slang trill on their 1992 EP The Southern Way. On his 2005 track “Trill,” rapper Paul Wall gave us a straight-up definition:

Trill is when you never fake, trill is when you real
Chasin’ after dollar bills, gotta get it how you live
Trill is when you hustle so you go out there and get it
Doin’ whatever you gotta do to make a meal ticket

Trill has also notably been used by larger-than-life rappers from Master P to Lil Wayne to ASAP Rocky. It’s even hit its full street reach as the name of popular streetwear brand, Been Trill.

In the 2000s, trill further expanded in slang as a nickname for the hood, where things are real.

How is trill used in real life?

Alongside siblings such as vibrato and crescendo, musicians know and use trill. As do writers describing the sound, say, some birds make or how Spanish speakers trill their Rs.

Trill trill trill England 👏🙌👍 pic.twitter.com/qF75aANujM

— Jason 💚 Pam 💙 Darlene 💛 Randy 💚 (@JasonBudgie) June 18, 2018

Then, there’s the newer sense of trill, used in slang and hip hop to boast realness before any phony haters.

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.