▪ I. † lile, n. Obs.
[f. name of Lille in France. Cf. lisle.]
? A kind of grogram (more fully lile grogram).
| 1640 in Noorthouck Lond. (1773) 843/1 Stuffs, liles, broad or narrow, the piece not above 15 yards, 2d. 1660 Act 12 Chas. II, c. 4 Sched. s.v. Buffin, Buffins, Mocadoes, & Lile Grograns narrow the single peece..iij. li. 1674 S. Jeake Arith. (1696) 65 Lile Grograins. |
▪ II. lile, a. and adv. dial.
(laɪl)
[app. repr. a contraction of ON. lītell, lītl- little: cf. mod.Sw. lilla, Da. lille.]
Little.
| 1633 King & Poore N. Man 89 Full lile we know his hard griefe of mind. 1848 Mrs. Gaskell Mary Barton vii. (1882) 17/1 He'll have a hard death, poor lile fellow. 1863 ― Sylvia's L. Novels (1874) 127, I trust to thee to look after the lile lass. |
▪ III. lile
see lille v. and lily.