Shrill (?), a. [Compar. Shriller (?); superl. Shrillest.] [OE. shril, schril; akin to LG. schrell, G. schrill. See Shrill,v. i.]
Acute; sharp; piercing; having or emitting a sharp, piercing tone or sound; -- said a sound, or of that which produces a sound.
Hear the shrill whistle which doth order give
To sounds confused.
Shak.
Let winds be shrill, let waves roll high.
Byron.
© Webster 1913.
Shrill, n.
A shrill sound.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
© Webster 1913.
Shrill, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shrilled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shrilling.] [OE. schrillen, akin to G. schrillen; cf. AS. scralletan to resound loudly, Icel. skrolta to jolt, Sw. skralla to shrill, Norw. skryla, skrla. Cf. Skirl.]
To utter an acute, piercing sound; to sound with a sharp, shrill tone; to become shrill.
Break we our pipes, that shrilledloud as lark.
Spenser.
No sounds were heard but of the shrilling cock.
Goldsmith.
His voice shrilled with passion.
L. Wallace.
© Webster 1913.
Shrill, v. t.
To utter or express in a shrill tone; to cause to make a shrill sound.
How poor Andromache shrills her dolors forth.
Shak.
© Webster 1913.