I. trick ‧ le 1 /ˈtrɪk ə l/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Perhaps from the sound ]
1 . if liquid trickles somewhere, it flows slowly in drops or in a thin stream
trickle down/into/out
The tears trickled down her cheeks.
2 . if people, vehicles, goods etc trickle somewhere, they move there slowly in small groups or amounts
trickle in/into/away
The first few fans started to trickle into the stadium.
trickle down phrasal verb
if money trickles down, it moves slowly from the richest people to the poorest people in a society, or from the richest countries to the poorest countries
trickle up phrasal verb
if money trickles up, it moves slowly from the poorest people to the richest people in a society, or from the poorest countries to the richest countries
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ flow if liquid flows, it moves in a steady continuous stream:
Blood flowed from his hand.
|
The river flows very quickly at this point.
▪ run to flow – used when saying that something flows in a particular direction:
Water was running down the walls of the room.
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Sweat ran off his nose.
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The river runs into the sea.
▪ come out to flow out of something:
You couldn't drink any of the water that came out of the tap.
▪ pour to flow in large quantities:
The rain poured down.
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Blood was pouring from a wound on his head.
▪ gush to flow out quickly in very large quantities:
Water was gushing out at more than 3000 gallons a minute.
▪ spurt to flow out suddenly with a lot of force:
Oil was spurting from a small hole in the pipe.
▪ trickle to flow slowly in drops or in a thin stream:
Clare felt sweat trickling down the back of her neck.
▪ leak to flow in or out through a small hole or crack, usually when this is not meant to happen:
Oil was leaking from the engine.
▪ ooze to flow from something very slowly – used about blood or a thick liquid:
Blood was oozing from the wound.
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Jam oozed out as she bit into the cake.
▪ drip to fall in drops:
Water dripped from the tap continuously.
▪ cascade to flow down the side of something in large amounts:
Water cascades down the hilllside.
II. trickle 2 BrE AmE noun
1 . [countable] a thin slow flow of liquid:
The water in the stream had been reduced to a trickle.
2 . [singular] a movement of people, vehicles, goods etc into a place in very small numbers or amounts:
Recent legislation has reduced immigration to a trickle.
trickle of
a trickle of cars on the highway