I. ˈlilt verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English lulten
transitive verb
1. : to begin to sing, sound, or play : strike — often used with up
lilt up your pipes — Allan Ramsey †1758
2. : to sing in a lively cheerful manner
lilting a tune to supply the lack of conversation — Emily Brontë
intransitive verb
1. : to sing or speak in a rhythmical manner
whose shrill voice I have heard this half hour lilting in the … kitchen — Sir Walter Scott
2.
a. : to move in a lively springy manner
a young man … lilting a little in his walk — Rudyard Kipling
b. : to sway gently from side to side (as in some dances)
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a spirited and usually gay song or tune
a well-known rollicking Irish lilt — Samuel Lover
the wordless music of a lilt — Brian George
2. : a rhythmical swing, flow, or cadence
the lines go with a lilt — R.L.Stevenson
the lilt of the train as it picked up speed — John Masters
3. : a springy movement indicative of buoyant spirits
a lilt in her step