thirl

Meanings

Noun

• A hole, aperture, especially a nostril.
• A low door in a dry-stone wall to allow sheep to pass through; a smoot.
• A thrall.

Verb

• To pierce, perforate, penetrate.
• To drill or bore.
• To throw (a projectile).
• To legally bind (a tenant) to the use of one's own property as an owner.

Origin

• From Middle English thirl, thiril, from Old English þȳrel ("hole"), from Proto-Germanic *þurhilą ("hole, opening"), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷelo- which is *tr̥h₂kʷe + *-lo (equivalent to through + -le) from *terh₂-. Related to thrill, drill.
• From Middle English thirlen, thurlen, thorlen, from Old English þȳrlian ("to pierce"), from the noun (see above).
• Origin uncertain. Perhaps a .
• Dialectal alteration of thrall.