trifle

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.

   It is interesting to watch the surface joviality on screen while racism is layered between courses like soggy trifles.

2. 2
   noun

   Anything that is of little importance or worth.

   Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmation strong / As proofs of holy writ.

3. 3
   noun

   A very small amount (of something).

   This Line leaves out […] Poplar and Black-vvall, vvhich are indeed contiguous, a Trifle of Ground excepted, and very populous.

4. 4
   verb

   To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.

   You must not trifle with her affections.

5. 5
   verb

   To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest.

   […] playing and trifling are completely banished out of my mind […]

6. 6
   verb

   To inconsequentially toy with something.

   Mr. Micawber, leaning back in his chair, trifled with his eye-glass and cast his eyes up at the ceiling […]

7. 7
   verb

   To squander or waste.

   We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence.

8. 8
   verb

   To make a trifle of, to make trivial.

   […] but this sore night / Hath trifled former knowings.

Etymology

From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin.