thirl
thirl · thirls
A hole, an aperture, especially a nostrilA hole, an aperture, especially a nostril.
UK/θɜːl/US/θɝl/
Meaning
5 sensesA hole, an aperture, especially a nostril.
(dialectal)A low door in a dry-stone wall to allow sheep to pass through; a smoot.
(historical)A thrall.
(obsolete)A short communication between adits in a mine.
(obsolete)A long adit in a coalpit.
Origin
From Middle English thirl, thiril, from Old English þyrel (“hole”), from Proto-West GermanFrom 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.
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