trill

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a rapid alternation between two adjacent musical notes

   The flutist ended the phrase with a bright trill.

2. 2
   noun

   a rapid series of sounds made by a bird or by vibration of a speech organ

   A sparrow's trill sounded from the hedge at dawn.

3. 3
   verb

   to sing, play, or pronounce with a rapid wavering or vibrating sound

   The singer can trill the final note without losing pitch.

Recorded in English from the seventeenth century and probably imitative of a rapid vibrating sound; it has also been compared with Germanic verbs meaning 'to twirl' or 'turn.' The musical, bird-call, and articulated-r senses all preserve the idea of quick alternation.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images