All 3 Uses of
trifle
in
Dracula
- She is a trifle stouter, and her cheeks are a lovely rose-pink.
p. 82.1trifle = little
- To my surprise, Van Helsing rose up and said with all his sternness, his iron jaw set and his bushy eyebrows meeting, "No trifling with me!"
p. 141.1 *trifling with = treating without respect
- Lucy's heart beat a trifle more audibly to the stethoscope, and her lungs had a perceptible movement.
p. 159.2 *trifle = little
Definitions:
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(1)
(trifle as in: a trifling matter) something of small importance; or a small quantity
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(2)
(trifle with as in: trifle with her affections) to treat somebody or something thoughtlessly or without respect
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(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Less commonly, a trifle can refer to a kind of dessert. In classic literature, trifling can be a synonym for small talk.