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Trifle

//ˈtɹaɪfəl// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream. countable, uncountable

    "It is interesting to watch the surface joviality on screen while racism is layered between courses like soggy trifles."

  2. 2
    something of small importance wordnet
  3. 3
    Anything that is of little importance or worth. countable, figuratively, uncountable

    "Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmation strong / As proofs of holy writ."

  4. 4
    a detail that is considered insignificant wordnet
  5. 5
    Anything that is of little importance or worth.; An insignificant amount of money. countable, figuratively, uncountable

    "A trifle, some eight-penny matter."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate wordnet
  2. 7
    A very small amount (of something). countable, figuratively, uncountable

    "This Line leaves out […] Poplar and Black-vvall, vvhich are indeed contiguous, a Trifle of Ground excepted, and very populous."

  3. 8
    A particular kind of pewter. countable, uncountable
  4. 9
    Utensils made from this particular kind of pewter. uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth. intransitive

    "You must not trifle with her affections."

  2. 2
    consider not very seriously wordnet
  3. 3
    To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest. intransitive

    "[…] playing and trifling are completely banished out of my mind […]"

  4. 4
    act frivolously wordnet
  5. 5
    To inconsequentially toy with something. intransitive

    "Mr. Micawber, leaning back in his chair, trifled with his eye-glass and cast his eyes up at the ceiling […]"

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently wordnet
  2. 7
    To squander or waste. transitive

    "We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence."

  3. 8
    To make a trifle of, to make trivial. obsolete, transitive

    "[…] but this sore night / Hath trifled former knowings."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin.

Etymology 2

From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin.

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