Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SHRILL, a. [W. grill, a sharp noise; Arm. scrilh; a cricket, L. gryllus, Fr. grillon, Sp. and It. grillo; It. strillare, to scream.]

1. Sharp; acute; piercing; as sound; as, a shrill voice; shrill echoes. – Shak.
2. Uttering an acute sound; as, the cock's shrill sounding throat; a shrill trumpet. Note. A shrill sound may be tremulous or trilling; but this circumstance is not essential to it, although it seems to be from the root of trill.