• (America) IPA: /θɝl/
• (RP) IPA: /θɜːl/

thirl (plural thirls)

1. (archaic or dialectal) A hole, aperture, especially a nostril.
2. (dialectal) A low door in a dry-stone wall to allow sheep to pass through; a smoot.

thirl (thirls, present participle thirling; past and past participle thirled)

1. To pierce, perforate, penetrate.
   • 1567, Arthur Golding: Ovid's Metamorphoses Bk. 3 lines 78-81

     But yet his hardnesse savde him not against the piercing dart.

     For hitting right betweene the scales that yeelded in that part

     Whereas the joynts doe knit the backe, it thirled through the skin,

     And pierced to his filthy mawe and greedy guts within.

2. (obsolete) To drill or bore.

thirl (thirls, present participle thirling; past and past participle thirled)

1. (obsolete) To throw (a projectile).
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, John Florio, transl., The Essayes, […], printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821 ↗:

     , II.8:

     And many Authours doe in this manner wound the protection of their cause, by over-rashly running against that which they take hold-of, thirling transterm lanceant such darts at their enemies, that might with much more advantage be cast at them.

thirl (thirls, present participle thirling; past and past participle thirled)

1. (historical, transitive) To legally bind (a tenant) to the use of one's own property as an owner.

• thirlage

thirl (plural thirls)

1. (historical) A thrall.