▪ I. lill, n.1 Sc.
(lɪl)
[Cf. Du. lul.]
= lilt n. 4.
| 1721 Ramsay Poems Gloss. (1760), Lills, the holes of a wind-instrument of music. 1788 in R. Galloway's Poems 154 Go on, then, Galloway, go on, To touch the lill, and sound the drone. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Let. xi, He..could play weel on the pipes;..and he had the finest finger for the back-lill [c1832 back-lilt] between Berwick and Carlisle. |
▪ II. lill, n.2
(lɪl)
A pin of a very small size.
| 1882 Beck Draper's Dict., Lills, a very small pin; probably an abbreviation of Lilliputian. Mod. Advt., Lills... Pins with perfect Solid Heads. |
▪ III. lill, n.3
slang. See lil n.
▪ IV. † lill, v. Obs.
Forms: 6 lil, lylle, 6–7 lill, (7 lell).
[Onomatopœic: cf. loll v.]
trans. To loll or hang (the tongue) out (rarely forth). Also (rarely) intr. said of the tongue.
| 1530 Palsgr. 611/1, I lylle out the tonge, as a beest dothe that is chafed, je hallette. 1587 L. Mascall Govt. Cattle (1627) 15 Ye shall see him lil and hold out his tongue. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. v. 34 Cerberus..lilled forth his bloody flaming tong. 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. v. 228 As the Wood⁓pecker, his long tongue doth lill Out of the clov'n pipe of his horny bill To catch the Emets. 1600 Holland Livy vii. x. 255 Scornfully lelling and blaring out his tongue. 1611 Florio, Lucerna..Also the Lantern-fish, which lilling foorth his tongue, yeelds a great blaze or light. Ibid. s.v. Lingua, Like a tongue lilling out of the mouth. 1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. ii. 219 They shall..lill out their tongue, like a Calfe. 1656 W. D. tr. Comenius' Gate Lat. Unl. ¶651 A scorner sheweth his slightings and scorns..by distorting his lips, lilling out his tongue [etc.]. 1893 Wiltsh. Gloss., Lill, to pant as a dog. |