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arp, piercing tone or sound; -- said a sound, or of that which produces a sound. Hear the shrill whistle which doth order give To sounds confused. Shak. Let winds be shrill, let waves roll high. Byron.

Having a throat which produces a shrill note. [R.] Shak.

Having a shrill voice. "When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds." Shak.

The quality or state of being shrill.

In a shrill manner; acutely; with a sharp sound or voice.

High, or shrill, in respect to some other sound; -- opposed to grave or low; as, an acute tone or accent.

Shrillness; high pitch; -- said of sounds.

Sharp; shrill. [Obs.] Johnson.

cat, such as is made in playhouses to express dissatisfaction with a play; also, a small shrill instrument for making such a noise. Upon the rising of the curtain. I was very much surprised with the great consort of catcalls which was exhibited. Addison.

To make a short, shrill, cheerful sound; to chirp. See Chirrup. "Cheruping birds." Drayton.

To shriek; to gnash; to utter harsh or shrill cries. [Obs.] All full of chirkyng was that sorry place. Cheucer.

cada. They are large hemipterous insects, with nearly transparent wings. The male makes a shrill sound by pecular organs in the under side of the abdomen, consisting of a pair of stretched membranes, acted upon by powerful muscles. A noted American species (C. septendecim) is called the seventeen year locust. Another c…

A kind of trumpet, whose note is clear and shrill. He sounds his imperial clarion along the whole line of battle. E. Everett.

To make a loud or shrill noise. [Obs.] Golding.

rica; -- called also prairie wolf. Its voice is a snapping bark, followed by a prolonged, shrill howl.

To make the shrill sound characteristic of a cock, either in joy, gayety, or defiance. "The cock had crown." Bayron. The morning cock crew loud. Shak.

Deafening; disagreeably loud or shrill; as, ear-splitting strains.

A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music. Fife major (Mil.), a noncommissioned officer who superintends the fifers of a regiment. -- Fife rail. (Naut.) (a) A rail about the mast, at the deck, to hold belaying pins, etc. (b) A railing around the break of a…

ooden pipe, having six or more holes, and a mouthpiece inserted at one end. It produces a shrill sound, softer than of the piccolo flute, and is said to have superseded the old recorder. Flageolet tones (Mus.), the naturel harmonics or overtones of stringed instruments.

Not sharp or shrill; not acute; as, a flat sound.