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(
tra
f(
)l) Forms: 
. 3-5 trufle, (3-4 truyfle), 4 trufel, truffle, (trewful), 4-5 truful, 5 -fulle, truffulle, truffille. 
. 4 trofle, trofil, 4-5 trofel, (5 trowful). 
. 4 tryffel, 4-5 trifil(e, -ful, (4 tryuol, trefle, 4- 5 -fele), 4-6 tryfel, -fyl, -fle, 4-7 (8 Sc.) triffle, 5 tryfil, trifelle, triffol, 5-6 tryfell(e, 6 -fille, -full(e, -fyll(e, (tryefull), trifill, -fulle, triffelle, triffill(e, 7 triffel, tryffel, -le, 4- trifle. [ME. trufle, etc., a. OF. trufle (13th c. in Godef.), treufle, truffle (1370), parallel forms of trufe, truffe, ‘moquerie, tromperie’ (1265 in Godef.), = It. truffa, ‘a cozening, cheating, conicatching’ (Florio), Pr., obs. Sp. and Pg. trufa, ‘a gibe, a iesting or ieering’ (Minsheu); of uncertain origin. The phonology of the word in English presents difficulties; but trufle, with ü, would give later tryfle, triffle; and u sometimes varied dialectally with o, as in the ME. trofel. The short 
indicated by ff in tryffel, triffol, triffle, appears from the 14th to the 18th c.; but trifle with single f is ambiguous, and does not show when trfle became tr
fle.
For the ulterior etymology, Diez was inclined to identify F. truffe, trufle with truffe, Pr trufa (Littré), a TRUFFLE, a subterranean edible fungus. But it is app. only in F. (and Prov.) that the two words have the same form, and no connexion of sense has been ascertained: see TRUFFLE.]
1. A false or idle tale, told (a) to deceive, cheat, or befool, (b) to divert or amuse; a lying story, a fable, a fiction; a jest or joke; a foolish, trivial, or nonsensical saying. Obs.
The shades of sense cannot always be distinguished.
a1225 Ancr. R. 106
eos ant
o
re trufles
et he
bitrufle monie men mide.
1297 R. GLOUC. (Rolls) 8613 Wanne me sede him of suche wondres..to trufle [
v.rr. trifle, tryffel] he it wende.
1340 Ayenb. 58
e bourdes and
e trufles uol of
uele and of leazinges.
1390 GOWER Conf. III. 344 Mi Sone, unto the trouthe wende..And lete all othre truffles [
v.rr. trifles, triffles] be.
1393 LANGL. P. Pl. C.
XXI. 151 Hit is trufle [
v.rr. tryfle, triful, trewful]
at ou tellest.
c1440 York Myst. v. 125 Allas!
at I.. trowed
e trufuls
at ou me saide.
Ibid. xxxi. 300 But telle vs nowe some truffillis betwene vs twoo.
1483 Cath. Angl. 395/2 Truffillis,
nuge, gerra.
13.. Cursor M 253 (Cott.) To wast
air liif, in trofel and truandis.
Ibid. 27623 (Cott. Galba) Of pride cumes..sang of trofils [
Cott. truful] or lesing.
1340 HAMPOLE Pr. Consc. 183 Many has lykyng trofels to here.
c1400 Rule St. Benet 1735 Tales of trofils
ai sal non tel.
1303 R. BRUNNE Handl. Synne 5031
ys yche tale ys no tryfyl, For hyt ys wryte yn
e bybyl.
13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 108 Talkkande bifore
e hy
e table of trifles ful hende.
1377 LANGL. P. Pl. B.
XVIII. 147 It is but a trufle [
v.rr. tryfule, truyfle]
at ow tellest.
c1380 WYCLIF Wks. (1880) 442 Iapis & gabbingis or
oere tryuolis.
c1440 Generydes 4664 These are butt triffolys and delayes.
14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 617/42
Trufa, a trefele.
c1440 Promp. Parv. 502/2 Tryfle,
trufa.
c1518 SKELTON Magnyf. 1142, I am yet as full of game As euer I was, and as full of tryfyls [
rime nyfyls].
1548 UDALL, etc.
Erasm. Par. Matt. xv. 67 The Phariseis teache and obserue supersticiously these folysh tryfles.
1681 W. ROBERTSON Phraseol. Gen. (1693) 1258 Nifles and trifles; vain tales of Robin Hood;
aniles fabulæ.
2. a. Hence, A matter of little value or importance; ‘a thing of no moment’ (J.); a trivial, paltry, or insignificant affair.
c1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 412/345
are-fore mot ech holi man..tuyrne is herte to some truyfle.
1340 Ayenb. 142
er trete he of his greate quereles hueruore alle
ore niedes him
ing trufles.
c1380 WYCLIF Sel. Wks. II. 185 Worldli goodis, fame of
e world, and
oer trifilis.
1513 MORE Rich. III (1883) 48 Leneth mi lord thi master so muche to such trifles?
1585 Reg. Privy Council Scot. IV. 32 The materis.wer bot triffillis in respect of uthiris of greitar importance.
1604 SHAKES. Oth. III. iii. 322 Trifles light as ayre, Are to the iealious, confirmations strong As proofes of holy Writ.
1706 E. WARD Wooden World Diss. (1708) 33 He's a mighty exact Man about Trifles.
1758 JOHNSON Idler No. 23
7 There is scarcely any man without some favourite trifle which he values above greater attainments.
1833 H. MARTINEAU Brooke Farm ix. 110 Some trifles went wrong in the cottage.
1882 C. PEBODY Eng. Journalism xxii. 176 A Society journal, dealing..with the trifles of the day.
b. Without article. rare.
1768 TUCKER Lt. Nat. (1834) I 219 The advantage of virtue over vice and trifle does not lie in the very act, but in the consequences.
Ibid. 620 As well in matters of trifle as of moment.
c. transf. A worthless person; a trifler. Obs.
c1475 Pict. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 806/21
Hic nugigerulus, a trifelle.
a1623 FLETCHER Love's Cure III. iv,
Syav. Pray wear these trifles.
Clara... You are a trifle, wear your self, sir, out.
1675 TRAHERNE Chr. Ethics 392 You will look as like a trifle, a knave, or a fool, as one of them; and be as very a mad man.
a1716 SOUTH Serm. (1744) XI. 18 It shews him to be a fop, a trifle and a mere picture.
3. concr. A small article of little intrinsic value; a toy, trinket, bauble, knick-knack.
1375 Will of Eliz. Lister (Somerset Ho.), A goun et vnum triffle
self egged
a1400-50 Alexander 1894
e trufils
at e to me sent,
e herne-pan,
e hand-ball,
e hatt made of twiggis.
1530 PALSGR. 283/1 Tryfell, a knacke,
friuolle.
1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 196 Divers sorts of Linnen-cloth, with innumerable other small trifles.
1719 DE FOE Crusoe I. 44 To purchase..for Trifles, such as Beads, Toys, Knives, Scissars, Hatchets, Bits of Glass, and the like; not only Gold Dust,..Elephants Teeth, &c. but Negroes.
1756 M. CALDERWOOD in
Coltness Collect. (Maitl. Cl) 148 If you buy a triffle..then they are very civill.
1912 Daily Graphic 31 Dec. 13/2 These elegant trifles [hat-pins] are made in a variety of graceful designs.
4. A literary work, piece of music, etc., light or trivial in style; a slight or facetious composition; a bagatelle. Often used in meiosis.
1579 LYLY Euphues (Arb.) 106 If Lucilla reade this trifle, shee will straight proclaime Euphues for a traytour.
1665 BOYLE Occas. Refl., Disc. Occas. Medit. (1848) 1 The Trifles of this kind, your Commands make me trouble you with.
a1704 T. BROWN 1st Sat. Persius 66 Read his trifles, and scarce in one line You'll find him guilty of the least design.
1751 EARL OF ORRERY Remarks Swift vi. (1752) 47 Poems to Stella, and trifles to Dr. Sheridan, fill up a great part of that period.
1837 KEITH Bot. Lex. 2 Anacreon, in one of his little trifles in honour of drinking, makes the very trees of the forest drink.
1884 W. C. SMITH Kildrostan 47 A little
song
A trifle..Which I had writ for Mairi once to sing.
5. a. A small sum of money, or a sum treated as of no moment; a slight ‘consideration’.
c1595 CAPT. WYATT R. Dudley's Voy. W. Ind. (Hakl. Soc.) 39 The Captaine præsentinge him with a trifle from our Generall, hee [etc.].
1615 G. SANDYS Trav. 116 Giving a trifle for oile, about midnight we departed.
1746 FRANCIS tr.
Hor. Sat. II. iii. 214 ‘What will it cost? Nay, hold!
’‘A very trifle.
’‘Sir, I will be told.
’‘Three pence.’
1762-71 H. WALPOLE Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) II. 157 Some not suiting the places, were brought back, and sold for a trifle after the death of my father.
1818 SCOTT Let. 30 Apr. in Lockhart
Life (1837) IV. iv. 138, I could bet a trifle the doors, &c. will arrive the very day I set out.
b. An insignificant quantity or amount.
1722 DE FOE Plague (1884) 132 Here is fifty thousand.., within a Trifle.
1911 BEVERIDGE North Uist. v. 63 Nor can it ever have afforded more than a mere trifle of arable soil.
c. a trifle (advb.): To a trifling or slight extent; in a small degree, a little; somewhat, rather.
1859 READE Love me Little xi, The bank itself was small and grave and a trifle dingy.
1860 G. MEREDITH E. Harrington xi, The chairman welcomed them a trifle snubbingly.
1887 JESSOPP Arcady vii. 214 Jehu is a trifle below middle height.
1892 Speaker 3 Sept. 291/2 We may inquire, perhaps, if it be not a trifle arrogant.
6. a. A dish composed of cream boiled with various ingredients. Obs. b. A light confection of sponge-cake or the like, esp. flavoured with wine or spirit, and served with custard and whipped cream.
1598 FLORIO,
Mantiglia, a kinde of clouted creame called a foole or a trifle in English.
1688 R. HOLME Armoury III. 85/1
Triffel, is Cream boiled with Sugar, Mace and Cinnamon.
1736 BAILEY Househ. Dict. 571 To make a Trifle. Boil a quart of cream,..sweeten it,..put to it two spoonfuls of rennet; let it stand till it comes like cheese.
1755 H. GLASSE Art of Cookery (ed. 5) xvi. 285 Trifle. Cover..your Dish..with Naples Biscuits..Mackeroons..and Ratafia Cakes..wet them..with Sack, then make a good boiled Custard..pour over it..then put a Syllabub over that.
1781 COWPER Let. 18 Feb., There is some froth, and here and there a bit of sweetmeat, which seems to entitle it justly to the name of a certain dish the ladies call a trifle.
1836-9 DICKENS Sk. Boz, Bloomsbury Christening, There were fowls, and tongue, and trifle, and sweets, and lobster salad.
1860 O. W. HOLMES Elsie V. vii. (1891) 110 That most wonderful object of domestic art called trifle,..with its charming confusion of cream and cake and almonds and jam and jelly and wine and cinnamon and froth.
7. Name for a kind of pewter of medium hardness; in pl. also, articles made of this.
1610-11 [implied in
TRIFLER 3].
1612-13 in Welch
Hist. Pewterers' Co. (1902) II. 61 Att w
ch tyme was Syzed by them theis seuerall parcells of Tryffles as followe vizt: Great duble bells w
th peper boxes & baules... The greate beak
r..Middle beake
r..Smale beake
r..The great beere bowle... The large wrought Cupps..[etc.].
1668-9 Ibid. 140 It is..agreed..that..every person that taketh Hollow-ware of any work~man & returneth not him for the same
plate mettle and
London Trifles, shall pay unto such workman for want of plate mettle after the rate of 3
s 6
d per Cent and deliver him good London Trifles.
1839 URE Dict. Arts 952 The English tradesmen distinguish three sorts, which they call plate, trifle, and ley pewter; the first and hardest being used for plates and dishes; the second for beer-pots; and the third for larger wine measures.
1875 KNIGHT Dict. Mech. 1677/1 To regulate the quality..a button of pure tin weighing 182 grains was employed; a similar button of plate-pewter would weigh
183
grains; of trifle,
185
grains; and of ley,
198
grains.
8. a. attrib. or as adj. Trifling.
1607 TOPSELL Four-f. Beasts 170 This is no trumpery tale, nor trifle toy.
b. Comb., as trifle-bearer, -dish, -monger, -worship; trifle-pewter = sense 7; trifle-ring, ‘a ring having some hidden mechanism or play of parts, as a gimmel-ring, puzzle-ring, or one composed of three or more hoops working on pivots’ (Cent. Dict.).
1561 WITHERS tr.
Calvin's Treat. Relics Aij, Certaine *trifle bearers, who..did exercise a most vilainous and filthy kynd of cariyng hyther, and thether reliques of martyrs.
1859 LANG Wand. India 107 The soup..was served up in a *trifle-dish which had formed part of a dessert service belonging to the 9th Lancers.
1819 Hermit in London III. 81 These selfish *trifle-mongers.
1875 KNIGHT Dict. Mech. 1677/1 The *trifle-pewter has, tin 83; antimony 17; with a good deal of lead occasionally.
a1860 J. A. A
LEXANDER Gosp. Jesus Christ xv. (1861) 203 The exchange of spiritual life for..factitious morals and a senseless *trifle-worship.
Hence (nonce-wds.) 
trifledom, the realm of trifles; triflet (traflt), a small trifle (in sense 4).
1895 Daily News 8 Nov. 3/2 A skit upon the Haymarket piece..described..as ‘A Trilby Triflet’. 1903 Westm. Gaz. 22 Sept. 2/3 Twin synonyms of frolic mild,..Are ye from Trifledom exiled?
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