TRILL

I. verb Etymology: Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch ~en to vibrate, Swedish ~a to roll Date: 14th century intransitive verb to flow in a small stream or in drops ; trickle , twirl , revolve , transitive verb to cause to flow in a small stream, II. noun Etymology: Italian ~o probably of imitative origin Date: 1649 1. the alternation of two musical tones a diatonic second apart, vibrato , a rapid reiteration of the same tone especially on a percussion instrument, a sound resembling a musical ~ ; warble , 3. the rapid vibration of one speech organ against another (as of the tip of the tongue against the teethridge), a speech sound made by a ~, III. verb Date: circa 1667 intransitive verb to play or sing with a ~ ; quaver , transitive verb to utter as or with or as if with a ~ , ~er noun