trill
trill Lexical Profile
trill Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A quavering or vibratory sound, especially a rapid alternation of sung or played musical notes or the warbling song of a bird.
"The morning air was filled with the bright trill of a songbird perched high in the oak tree."
A musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between a principal note and the note immediately above it.
"The flutist executed the intricate Baroque trill with remarkable speed and clarity."
A consonant sound produced by rapid vibrations of one speech organ against another, such as the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge or the uvula against the back of the tongue.
"Mastering the alveolar trill in Spanish requires relaxing the tip of the tongue while exhaling steadily."
• verb
To produce a quavering, warbling, or vibrating sound, especially when singing, playing an instrument, or speaking in a high voice.
"Canaries trill melodiously when they are healthy and comfortable in their surroundings."
To pronounce a consonant with a rapid vibration of the tongue or uvula.
"Classical singers often trill their r's to project the diction clearly across a large concert hall."
• Rhymes for trill
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Italian trillo (or its verb trillare), likely of imitative origin representing a rapid, vibrating sound.