trill

trill
    n 1: a note that alternates rapidly with another note a semitone
         above it [syn: {trill}, {shake}]
    2: the articulation of a consonant (especially the consonant
       `r') with a rapid flutter of the tongue against the palate or
       uvula; "he pronounced his R's with a distinct trill"
    v 1: pronounce with a trill, of the phoneme `r'; "Some speakers
         trill their r's"
    2: sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note
       above or below [syn: {warble}, {trill}, {quaver}]
    

Trill \Trill\, v. i.
   To utter trills or a trill; to play or sing in tremulous
   vibrations of sound; to have a trembling sound; to quaver.
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         To judge of trilling notes and tripping feet. --Dryden.
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Trill \Trill\, n. [It. trillo, fr. trillare. See {Trill} to
   shake.]
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   1. A sound, of consonantal character, made with a rapid
      succession of partial or entire intermissions, by the
      vibration of some one part of the organs in the mouth --
      tongue, uvula, epiglottis, or lip -- against another part;
      as, the r is a trill in most languages.
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   2. The action of the organs in producing such sounds; as, to
      give a trill to the tongue. d
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   3. (Mus.) A shake or quaver of the voice in singing, or of
      the sound of an instrument, produced by the rapid
      alternation of two contiguous tones of the scale; as, to
      give a trill on the high C. See {Shake}.
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Trill \Trill\, v. i. [OE. trillen to roll, turn round; of Scand.
   origin; cf. Sw. trilla to roll, Dan. trilde, Icel.
   [thorn]yrla to whirl, and E. thrill. Cf. {Thrill}.]
   To flow in a small stream, or in drops rapidly succeeding
   each other; to trickle. --Sir W. Scott.
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         And now and then an ample tear trilled down
         Her delicate cheek.                      --Shak.
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         Whispered sounds
         Of waters, trilling from the riven stone. --Glover.
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Trill \Trill\, v. t. [OE. trillen; cf. Sw. trilla to roll.]
   To turn round; to twirl. [Obs.] --Gascoigne.
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         Bid him descend and trill another pin.   --Chaucer.
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Trill \Trill\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Trilled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Trilling}.] [It. trillare; probably of imitative origin.]
   To impart the quality of a trill to; to utter as, or with, a
   trill; as, to trill the r; to trill a note.
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         The sober-suited songstress trills her lay. --Thomson.
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102 Moby Thesaurus words for "trill":
      Bebung, anthem, babble, ballad, bubble, burble, cackle, call,
      carol, caw, chant, chatter, cheep, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup,
      chitter, choir, chorus, chuck, clack, cluck, cock-a-doodle-doo,
      coo, croak, cronk, croon, crow, cuckoo, descant, distill, do-re-mi,
      dribble, drip, drop, drum, falter, flutter, gabble, gaggle, gobble,
      guggle, gurgle, honk, hoo, hoot, hum, hymn, intonate, intone, lap,
      leak, leak out, lilt, minstrel, peep, pip, pipe, plash, psalm,
      purl, quack, quaver, quiver, ripple, roll, roulade, scold,
      serenade, shake, sing, sing in chorus, slosh, sol-fa, solmizate,
      splash, squawk, swash, swish, tremble, tremolando, tremolant,
      tremolo, tremor, trickle, trillet, trilleto, trillo, troll,
      tweedle, tweedledee, tweet, twit, twitter, vibrato, vocalize,
      warble, wash, weep, whistle, yodel