Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
A hole, an aperture, especially a nostril.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: otherwise archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A low door in a dry-stone wall to allow sheep to pass through; a smoot.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dialectal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A short communication between adits in a mine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Topics: business, mining
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A long adit in a coalpit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Topics: business, mining
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A thrall.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To pierce; to perforate, penetrate, cut through.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Qualifier: otherwise obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To drill or bore; to cut through, as a partition between one working and another.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
Topics: business, mining
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To throw (a projectile).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To legally bind (a tenant) to the use of one's own property as an owner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To bind; to obligate to use or be associated with.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Middle English thirl, thiril, from Old English þyrel (“hole”), from Proto-West Germanic *þurhil, from Proto-Germanic *þurhilą (“hole, opening”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h2kwelo- which is *tr̥h2kwe + *-lo, from *terh2-. Related to thrill, drill. By surface analysis, through + -le.
Dialectal alteration of thrall.
From Middle English thirlen, thurlen, thorlen, from Old English þȳrlian (“to pierce”), from the noun (see above). Doublet of thrill.
Uncertain. Perhaps a blend of throw + hurl.
