different between trickle vs trinkle

English

Etymology

Originally of tears; from strickle, frequentative of to strike, by elision (probably because tears trickle is easier to pronounce than tears strickle).

For other similar cases of incorrect division, see also apron, daffodil, newt, nickname, orange, umpire.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

trickle (plural trickles)

1. A very thin river.

   The brook had shrunk to a mere trickle.

2. A very thin flow; the act of trickling.

   The tap of the washbasin in my bedroom is leaking and the trickle drives me mad at night.

   • 1897, James Bryce, Impressions of South Africa

     The streams that run south and east from the mountains to the coast are short and rapid torrents after a storm, but at other times dwindle to feeble trickles of mud.

Translations

Verb

trickle (third-person singular simple present trickles, present participle trickling, simple past and past participle trickled)

1. (transitive) to pour a liquid in a very thin stream, or so that drops fall continuously.

   The doctor trickled some iodine on the wound.

2. (intransitive) to flow in a very thin stream or drop continuously.

   Here the water just trickles along, but later it becomes a torrent.

   • 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula Chapter 21

     Her white night-dress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man's bare chest which was shown by his torn-open dress.
3. (intransitive) To move or roll slowly.

Derived terms

• trickle truth

Translations

Anagrams

• tickler

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