What does trifle mean?
Definitions for trifle
ˈtraɪ fəltri·fle
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word trifle.
Princeton's WordNet
triflenoun
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
technicality, trifle, trivialitynoun
a detail that is considered insignificant
triviality, trivia, trifle, small beerverb
something of small importance
piddle, wanton, wanton away, piddle away, trifleverb
waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
frivol, trifleverb
act frivolously
dally, trifle, playverb
consider not very seriously
"He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
Wiktionary
triflenoun
An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.
triflenoun
An insignificant amount.
triflenoun
Anything that is of little importance or worth.
triflenoun
A particular kind of pewter.
triflenoun
utensils made from this particular kind of pewter.
trifleverb
To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.
trifleverb
To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest.
trifleverb
To inconsequentially toy with something.
trifleverb
To squander or waste.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Triflenoun
A thing of no moment.
Etymology: from the noun.
The instruments of darkness tell us truths;
Win us with honest trifles, to betray us
In deepest consequence. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.Old Geoffrey Chaucer doth of Topas tell,
Mad Rabelais of Pantagruel,
A later third of Dowsabell,
With such poor trifles playing:
Others the like have labour’d at,
Some of this thing, and some of that,
And many of they know not what,
But that they must be saying. Michael Drayton, Nymphid.The infinitely greatest confessed good is neglected, to satisfy the successive uneasiness of our desires pursuing trifles. John Locke.
To Trifleverb
To make of no importance. Not in use.
Threescore and ten I can remember well,
Within the volume of which time I’ve seen
Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night
Hath trifled former knowings. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.To Trifleverb
Etymology: tryfelen, Dutch.
When they saw that we ought to abrogate such popish ceremonies as are unprofitable, or else might have other more profitable in their stead, they trifle and they beat the air about nothing which toucheth us, unless they mean that we ought to abrogate all popish ceremonies. Richard Hooker.
Do not believe,
That, from the sense of all civility,
I thus would play and trifle with your reverence. William Shakespeare.’Tis hard for every trifling debt of two shillings to be driven to law. Edmund Spenser.
Wikipedia
Trifle
Trifle is a layered dessert of English origin. The usual ingredients are a thin layer of sponge fingers or sponge cake soaked in sherry or another fortified wine, a fruit element (fresh or jelly), custard and whipped cream layered in that order in a glass dish. The contents of a trifle are highly variable and many varieties exist, some forgoing fruit entirely and instead using other ingredients, such as chocolate, coffee or vanilla. The fruit and sponge layers may be suspended in fruit-flavoured jelly, and these ingredients are usually arranged to produce three or four layers. The assembled dessert can be topped with whipped cream or, more traditionally, syllabub. The name trifle was used for a dessert like a fruit fool in the sixteenth century; by the eighteenth century, Hannah Glasse records a recognisably modern trifle, with the inclusion of a gelatin jelly.
ChatGPT
trifle
A trifle is a thing of little value or importance; a small, trivial matter or item. It can also refer to an English dessert made with layers of sponge cake, custard, jelly, and cream.
Webster Dictionary
Triflenoun
a thing of very little value or importance; a paltry, or trivial, affair
Triflenoun
a dish composed of sweetmeats, fruits, cake, wine, etc., with syllabub poured over it
Triflenoun
to act or talk without seriousness, gravity, weight, or dignity; to act or talk with levity; to indulge in light or trivial amusements
Trifleverb
to make of no importance; to treat as a trifle
Trifleverb
to spend in vanity; to fritter away; to waste; as, to trifle away money
Wikidata
Trifle
Trifle is a dessert dish made from thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or jelly, and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Trifle
trī′fl, v.i. to act or talk lightly: to indulge in light or silly amusements: to waste or spend idly or unprofitably (with).—n. anything of little value: a light confection of whipped cream or white of egg, with fruit, wine, &c.—n. Trī′fler.—adj. Trī′fling, of small value or importance: trivial.—adv. Trī′flingly.—n. Trī′flingness. [O. Fr. trufle, dim. of truffe, a gibe, also a truffle.]
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Anagrams for trifle »
filter
lifter
relift
fertil
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of trifle in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of trifle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Examples of trifle in a Sentence
At every trifle take offense, that always shows great pride or little sense.
Heed not the flatterer?s fulsome talk, He from thee hopes some trifle to obtain; Thou wilt, shouldst thou his wishes baulk, Ten hundred times as much of censure gain.
Curiosity in children, is but an appetite for knowledge. One great reason why children abandon themselves wholly to silly pursuits and trifle away their time insipidly is, because they find their curiosity balked, and their inquiries neglected.
Never think that Jesus commanded a trifle, nor dare to trifle with anything He has commanded.
You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for trifle
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- تافهArabic
- ваҡ-төйәкBashkir
- fotesaCatalan, Valencian
- maličkostCzech
- bagatelDanish
- Trifle, KleinigkeitGerman
- sopa inglesaSpanish
- veidi, natuke, pisut, väheEstonian
- pikkujuttu, tina-astia, hitunen, väheksyä, rahtunen, pilailla, leikkiä, tina, hiukkanen, pikkuasia, trifle, leikitellä, hippunen, tinaseos, vitsailla, ripausFinnish
- bricole, bagatelle, babiole, broutilleFrench
- traidhfil, réadánIrish
- छोटी सीHindi
- apróságHungarian
- AgakIndonesian
- un po', peltro, bagattella, zuppa inglese, un tantino, inezia, cosa da poco, tartufo, briciolaItalian
- קְצָתHebrew
- トライフルJapanese
- nugaeLatin
- kanehe, takutakunga, takungaMāori
- aalmoes, puddingtaart, zever, bagatel, een beetje, klutsDutch
- drobiazgPolish
- ninharia, trifle, bugigangaPortuguese
- небольшая сумма, безделица, не принимать всерьёз, небольшое количество, пустяк, копейка, прикалываться, расточать, безделушка, мелочь, растрачивать, шутить, тратить, играть, разбазаривать, бисквит, теребитьRussian
- tratiti, тратити, tričarija, ситница, sitnica, тричаријаSerbo-Croatian
- maličkosťSlovak
- ทรัยเฟิลThai
- pandispanyalı tatlıTurkish
- chuyện lặt vặtVietnamese
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