2 N‑COUNT A trifle is something that is considered to have little importance, value, or significance. □ He had no money to spare on trifles.
3 N‑VAR Trifle is a cold dessert made of layers of sponge cake, jelly, fruit, and custard, and usually covered with cream.
▸ trifle with PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is not a person to be trifled with , you are indicating to other people that they must treat that person with respect. □ [be V -ed P ] He was not someone to be trifled with. □ [V P n] No man in Tabriz trifled with the executioner.
tri|fling /tra I fəl I ŋ/ ADJ A trifling matter is small and unimportant. □ Outside California these difficulties may seem fairly trifling. □ …a comparatively trifling 360 yards.
trig|ger ◆◇◇ /tr I gə r / (triggers , triggering , triggered )
1 N‑COUNT The trigger of a gun is a small lever which you pull to fire it. □ A man pointed a gun at them and pulled the trigger.
2 N‑COUNT [oft N n] The trigger of a bomb is the device which causes it to explode. □ …trigger devices for nuclear weapons.
3 VERB To trigger a bomb or system means to cause it to work. □ [V n] The thieves must have deliberately triggered the alarm and hidden inside the house.
4 VERB If something triggers an event or situation, it causes it to begin to happen or exist. □ [V n] …the incident which triggered the outbreak of the First World War. ● PHRASAL VERB Trigger off means the same as trigger . □ [V P n] It is still not clear what events triggered off the demonstrations. [Also V n P ]
5 N‑COUNT If something acts as a trigger for another thing such as an illness, event, or situation, the first thing causes the second thing to begin to happen or exist. □ [+ for ] Stress may act as a trigger for these illnesses. SYNONYMS trigger VERB
3
set off: Any escape, once it's detected, sets off the alarm.
activate: Video cameras with night vision can be activated by movement.
4
bring about: The only way they can bring about political change is by putting pressure on the country.
provoke: His election success has provoked a shocked reaction.
spark: What was it that sparked your interest in motoring?
tri gger-ha ppy also trigger happy ADJ If you describe someone as trigger-happy , you disapprove of them because they are too ready and willing to use violence and weapons, especially guns. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Some of them are a bit trigger-happy–they'll shoot at anything that moves.
trigo|nom|etry /tr I gənɒ m I tri/ N‑UNCOUNT Trigonometry is the branch of mathematics that is concerned with calculating the angles of triangles or the lengths of their sides.
trike /tra I k/ (trikes ) N‑COUNT A trike is a child's tricycle . [INFORMAL ]
tril|by /tr I lbi/ (trilbies ) N‑COUNT A trilby or a trilby hat is a man's hat which is made of felt and has a groove along the top from front to back. [BRIT ]
trill /tr I l/ (trills , trilling , trilled )
1 VERB If a bird trills , it sings with short, high-pitched, repeated notes. □ [V ] At one point a bird trilled in the Conservatory.
2 VERB If you say that a woman trills , you mean that she talks or laughs in a high-pitched voice which sounds rather musical but which also sounds rather irritating. □ [V with quote] 'How adorable!' she trills.
3 N‑COUNT A trill is the playing of two musical notes repeatedly and quickly one after the other. [TECHNICAL ]
tril|lion /tr I ljən/ (trillions ) The plural form is trillion after a number, or after a word or expression referring to a number, such as 'several' or 'a few'. NUM A trillion is a million million. □ Between July 1st and October 1st, the central bank printed over 2 trillion roubles.
tril|ogy /tr I lədʒi/ (trilogies ) N‑COUNT A trilogy is a series of three books, plays, or films that have the same subject or the same characters.
trim /tr I m/ (trimmer , trimmest , trims , trimming , trimmed )
1 ADJ Something that is trim is neat, tidy, and attractive. □ The neighbours' gardens were trim and neat.
2 ADJ If you describe someone's figure as trim , you mean that it is attractive because there is no extra fat on their body. [APPROVAL ] □ The driver was a trim young woman of perhaps thirty.
3 VERB If you trim something, for example someone's hair, you cut off small amounts of it in order to make it look neater and tidier. □ [V n] My friend trims my hair every eight weeks. ● N‑SING Trim is also a noun. □ His hair needed a trim.
4 VERB If a government or other organization trims something such as a plan, policy, or amount, they reduce it slightly in extent or size. □ [V n] American companies looked at ways they could trim these costs.
5 VERB [usu passive] If something such as a piece of clothing is trimmed with a type of material or design, it is decorated with it, usually along its edges. □ [be V -ed + with ] …jackets, which are then trimmed with crocheted flowers. ● -trimmed COMB □ He wears a fur-trimmed coat.
6 N‑VAR The trim on something such as a piece of clothing is a decoration, for example along its edges, that is in a different colour or material. □ …a white satin scarf with black trim.
7 PHRASE When people are in trim or in good trim , they are in good physical condition. □ He is already getting in trim for the big day.