thirl

• thurl

• (General American) IPA^(key): /θɝl/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /θɜːl/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)l

From Middle English thirl, thiril, from Old English þyrel (“a hole made through anything, opening, aperture, orifice, perforation”), 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.

thirl (plural thirls)

1. (archaic or dialectal) A hole, aperture, especially a nostril.

From Middle English thirlen, thurlen, thorlen, from Old English þyrlian, þyrelian (“to make a hole through, pierce through, perforate; make hollow, excavate; make vain”), from the noun (see above).

thirl (third-person singular simple present thirls, present participle thirling, simple past and past participle thirled)

1. To pierce, perforate, penetrate.
   • 1567, Arthur Golding: Ovid's Metamorphoses Bk. 3 lines 78-81

     But yet his hardnesse savde him not against the piercing dart.

     For hitting right betweene the scales that yeelded in that part

     Whereas the joynts doe knit the backe, it thirled through the skin,

     And pierced to his filthy mawe and greedy guts within.

2. (obsolete) To drill or bore.

• nostril
• thirlable
• thrill

Origin uncertain. Perhaps a blend of throw +‎ hurl.

thirl (third-person singular simple present thirls, present participle thirling, simple past and past participle thirled)

1. (obsolete) To throw (a projectile).
   • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, The Essayes, […], printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:

     , II.8:

     And many Authours doe in this manner wound the protection of their cause, by over-rashly running against that which they take hold-of, thirling [transl. lanceant] such darts at their enemies, that might with much more advantage be cast at them.

Dialectal alteration of thrall.

• thrill

thirl (third-person singular simple present thirls, present participle thirling, simple past and past participle thirled)

1. (historical, transitive) To legally bind (a tenant) to the use of one's own property as an owner.

• thirlage

thirl (plural thirls)

1. (historical) A thrall.