different between tinkle vs trinkle

English

Etymology

From Middle English tinclen, equivalent to tink +? -le (frequentative suffix).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?t??k?l/
• Rhymes: -??k?l

Verb

tinkle (third-person singular simple present tinkles, present participle tinkling, simple past and past participle tinkled)

1. (intransitive) To make light metallic sounds, rather like a very small bell.
   • 1753, Robert Dodsley, Agriculture

     The sprightly horse / Moves to the music of his tinkling bells.

2. (transitive) To cause to tinkle.
3. (transitive) To indicate, signal, etc. by tinkling.

4. To hear, or resound with, a small, sharp sound.

   • And his ears tinkled, and the colour fled.

5. (intransitive, informal) To urinate.

Synonyms

• (urinate): See Thesaurus:urinate

Derived terms

• atinkle
• tinkle-down
• tinkle the ivories

Translations

Noun

tinkle (plural tinkles)

1. A light metallic sound, resembling the tinkling of bells or wind chimes.
2. (Britain, informal) A telephone call.

   Synonyms: call, ring

3. (informal, euphemistic) An act of urination.

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t???k?l/

Verb

trinkle (third-person singular simple present trinkles, present participle trinkling, simple past and past participle trinkled)

1. (Scotland, rare) To trickle.
2. (rare) To tinkle.
3. (obsolete) To act secretly, or in an underhand way; to tamper.

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

References

[1] (the tears trinkled down her cheeks), [2] (the tears trinkled down Trim's cheeks], [3] (my own heart's blood came trinkling down)

Anagrams

• Tinkler, tinkler