All 5 Uses
trifle
in
John Adams, by McCullough
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- "Let no trifling diversion or amusement or company decoy you from your books," he lectured himself in his diary, "i.e., let no girl, no gun, no cards, no flutes, no violins, no dress, no tobacco, no laziness decoy you from your books.†
Subsection 1.1.2
- Trifles, whipped syllabubs, floating islands ...and then a dessert of fruits, raisins, almonds, pears, peaches—wines most excellent and admirable.†
Subsection 1.2.1 *trifles = things of small importance
- No less the New Englander than Adams, Dana was equally ill suited to trifling away his time.†
Subsection 2.5.1
- Our countrymen have too long trifled with public and private credit.†
Subsection 2.7.3 *trifled with = treated thoughtlessly or without respect
- I know that you would answer every scratch of a pen from me, but I know the importance of your occupations and your indefatigable attentions to them, and no trifling letter from me should divert your mind.†
Subsection 3.12.4
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) A trifle can refer to a kind of dessert. In classic literature, trifling can be a synonym for small talk.