Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1874-1953
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0]
TIRL, v.3, n.3 Also tirle, tirrl.
I. v. 1. intr. To quiver, vibrate, thrill (Sc. 1825 Jam.), to tingle. Comb. tirlin-bane, the elbow, the funny bone (Ork. 1972).Lnk. 1881 D. Thomson Musings 120:
For tyrants will ne'er care a snuff for your word, Till ance they hear't tirl frae the point o' your sword.Ork. 1931 J. Leask Peculiar People 123:
Da aesiest wey tae find 'er is da wey wir Willie deud — e' fell trou da tap o' 'er an' narlins breuk 'is tirrlin bane.
2. tr. To cause to vibrate or tremble; to sound (a musical instrument) by plucking the strings, drawing a bow, etc., to twang; also intr. with on, and fig.Dmf. 1874 R. W. Reid Moorland Rhymes 44:
That queer wild cry frae the gurly sky can tirl my heart strings still.Cld. 1880 Jam.:
He tirled the strings.Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 60:
The wee tod tirlin' on his penny trump.Uls. 1953 Traynor:
Four of as sweet fiddlers as tirrled a bow in the two baronies.
II. n. A vibration, the act of vibrating (Sc. 1880 Jam.); a tremor, quaver.Knr. 1894 H. Haliburton Furth in Field 183:
A good woman with a pathetic 'tirl' in her tone.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Tirl v.3, n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/tirl_v3_n3>
