rill

Etymology

From or akin to West Frisian ril (“rill; a narrow channel”), Dutch ril (“rill; gully; trench; watercourse”), German Low German Rille, Rill (“a small channel; brook; furrow”), German Rille (“a groove; furrow”).

noun

  1. A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet.
  2. (planetology) Alternative form of rille.

verb

  1. To trickle, pour, or run like a small stream.
    And fainter, finer, trickle far To where the listening uplands are; To pause—then from his gurgling bill Let the warbled sweetness rill, And down the welkin, gushing free, Hark the molten melody; 1862, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Il Mystico, 81-86
    Alladad Khan was panting hard, soaked in sweat, and his rolled-up sleeve was all blood, blood rilling down his arm. 1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 158

Attribution / Disclaimer All definitions come directly from Wiktionary using the Wiktextract library. We do not edit or curate the definitions for any words, if you feel the definition listed is incorrect or offensive please suggest modifications directly to the source (wiktionary/rill), any changes made to the source will update on this page periodically.