Etymology From Middle English thirl, thiril, from Old English þyrel (“hole”), from Proto-West Germanic *þurhil, from Proto-Germanic *þurhilą (“hole, opening”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂kʷelo- which is *tr̥h₂kʷe + *-lo, from *terh₂-. Related to thrill, drill. By surface analysis, through + -le.
1
A hole, an aperture, especially a nostril.
Otherwise archaic
2
Dialectal A low door in a dry-stone wall to allow sheep to pass through; a smoot.
Etymology From Middle English thirlen, thurlen, thorlen, from Old English þȳrlian (“to pierce”), from the noun (see above). Doublet of thrill.
1
To pierce; to perforate, penetrate, cut through.
Otherwise obsolete
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.1567, Arthur Golding: Ovid's Metamorphoses Bk. 3 lines 78-81
2
Business, MiningObsolete To drill or bore; to cut through, as a partition between one working and another.
Derived terms
thirlable
thirl
verb
Etymology Uncertain. Perhaps a blend of throw + hurl.
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 [translating lanceant] such darts at their enemies, that might with much more advantage be cast at them., II.8
Historical To legally bind (a tenant) to the use of one's own property as an owner.
2
Broadly To bind; to obligate to use or be associated with.
Was everyone nowadays thirled to a formula?1951, Josephine Tey, The Daughter of Time, page 10:
And there are plenty of people — Labour politicians, for example — who want people to remain thirled to poverty, who do not want them to have any spirit or independence.2005, Alexander McCall Smith, 44 Scotland Street: