lilt

lilt
I. noun Date: circa 1680 1. a spirited and usually cheerful song or tune 2. a rhythmical swing, flow, or cadence 3. a springy buoyant movement II. verb Etymology: Middle English lulten to sound an alarm Date: 1722 transitive verb to sing or play in a lively cheerful manner intransitive verb 1. to sing or speak rhythmically and with fluctuating pitch 2. to move in a lively springy manner

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lilt — Pays d’origine Royaume Uni Société …   Wikipédia en Français

  • lilt — [lılt] n [singular] [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: lilt to sing cheerfully or with a lilt (14 20 centuries)] a pleasant pattern of rising and falling sound in someone s voice or in music ▪ the lilt of a Scottish accent >lilting adj ▪ a lilting… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Lilt — Lilt, n. 1. Animated, brisk motion; spirited rhythm; sprightliness. [1913 Webster] The movement, the lilt, and the subtle charm of the verse. F. Harrison. [1913 Webster] 2. A lively song or dance; a cheerful tune. [1913 Webster] The housewife… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lilt — [ lılt ] noun singular a pleasant rising and falling pattern of sounds in the way that someone talks or in a piece of music: He spoke with a recognizable Irish lilt …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • lilt — lilt; lilt·ing·ly; lilt·ing·ness; …   English syllables

  • Lilt — Lilt, v. t. To utter with spirit, animation, or gayety; to sing with spirit and liveliness. [1913 Webster] A classic lecture, rich in sentiment, With scraps of thundrous epic lilted out By violet hooded doctors. Tennyson. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lilt — (l[i^]lt), v. i. [Cf. Norw. lilla, lirla, to sing in a high tone.] 1. To do anything with animation and quickness, as to skip, fly, or hop. [Prov. Eng.] Wordsworth. [1913 Webster] 2. To sing cheerfully. [Scot.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lilt — ► NOUN 1) a characteristic rising and falling of the voice when speaking. 2) a gentle rhythm in a tune. ► VERB ▪ speak, sing, or sound with a lilt. ORIGIN from obsolete lulte «sound (an alarm)» or «lift up (the voice)»; of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

  • lilt — [lilt] vt., vi. [ME lilten, lulten, prob. of echoic orig.] to sing, speak, play, or move with a light, graceful rhythm or swing n. 1. a merry song or tune with a light, swingy, and graceful rhythm 2. a light and graceful rhythm or movement… …   English World dictionary

  • lilt — (v.) 1510s, to lift up (the voice), probably from late 14c. W. Midlands dialect lulten to sound an alarm, of unknown origin. Possible relatives include Norw. lilla to sing and Low Ger. lul pipe. It is possible that the whole loose group is… …   Etymology dictionary

  • -lilt — noun The left hand thumb hole at the back of a bagpipe chanter ● back …   Useful english dictionary

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