trill

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a note that alternates rapidly with another note a semitone above it
noun the articulation of a consonant (especially the consonant `r') with a rapid flutter of the tongue against the palate or uvula
verb pronounce with a trill, of the phoneme `r'

From Middle English trillen, from Italian trillo, trillare. Compare German trillern, Norwegian trille, Swedish trilla.

Mingled with childhood's babbling trill, etc. — The Lady of the Lake, Walter Scott
War'ble, a trill of the voice. — McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader, William Holmes McGuffey
At trill madam, or grapple my lady. — Gargantua and Pantagruel, François Rabelais

shake

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning