different between falter vs trill

English

Alternative forms

• faulter (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English falteren (“to stagger”), further origin unknown. Possibly from a North Germanic source such as Old Norse faltrask (“be encumbered”). May also be a frequentative of fold, although the change from d to t is unusual.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?f??lt?(r)/, /?f?lt?(r)/

Noun

falter

1. unsteadiness.

Translations

Verb

falter (third-person singular simple present falters, present participle faltering, simple past and past participle faltered)

1. To waver or be unsteady; to weaken or trail off.
   • 1672, Richard Wiseman, A Treatise of Wounds

     He found his legs falter.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To stammer; to utter with hesitation, or in a weak and trembling manner.
   • 1807, Lord Byron, Childish Recollections

     And here he faltered forth his last farewell.
3. To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; said of the mind or of thought.
   • 1832, Isaac Taylor, Saturday Evening

     Here indeed the power of distinctly conceiving of space and distance falters.

4. To stumble.
5. (figuratively) To lose faith or vigor; to doubt or abandon (a cause).

   • And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter.

6. To hesitate in purpose or action.
7. To cleanse or sift, as barley.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Translations

References

English

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t??l/, [t??????l]
• Rhymes: -?l

Noun

trill (plural trills)

1. (music) A rapid alternation between an indicated note and the one above it, in musical notation usually indicated with the letters tr written above the staff.
2. (phonetics) A type of consonantal sound that is produced by vibrations of the tongue against the place of articulation: for example, Spanish ?rr?, /r/.
3. A tremulous high-pitched vocal sound produced by cats.

Derived terms

• trilly

Translations

Verb

trill (third-person singular simple present trills, present participle trilling, simple past and past participle trilled)

1. (intransitive) To create a trill sound; to utter trills or a trill; to play or sing in tremulous vibrations of sound; to have a trembling sound; to quaver.
   • 1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy

     To judge of trilling notes and tripping feet.

2. (transitive) To impart the quality of a trill to; to utter as, or with, a trill.
   • 1730, James Thomson, Seasons - Summer

     The sober-suited songstress trills her lay.

Synonyms

• roll

Derived terms

• triller

Translations

Further reading

• trill (music) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• trill consonant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

Perhaps identical to Etymology 3, but compare the same sense of drill, and German trillen, drillen.

Verb

trill (third-person singular simple present trills, present participle trilling, simple past and past participle trilled)

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To trickle.
   • 1737, Richard Glover, Leonidas Book {{{1}}}

     Whisper'd sounds / Of waters, trilling from the riven stone.

Etymology 3

Probably related to Old English þweran (“to twirl, stir”). Compare twirl, thirl, and Swedish trilla, Norwegian trille, etc.

Verb

trill (third-person singular simple present trills, present participle trilling, simple past and past participle trilled)

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To twirl.

Related terms

• tirl

Etymology 4

Perhaps a blend of true +? real.

Adjective

trill (comparative triller, superlative trillest)

1. (slang, hip-hop culture) true, respected

Albanian

Noun

trill ? (indefinite plural trillime, definite singular trilli, definite plural trillimet)

1. whim, tantrum, bizarre fantasy

Derived terms

• trilloj

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

trill

1. imperative of trille