How to pronounce trifle
American English pronunciation
TRY-ful
- IPA
- /ˈtɹaɪfəl/
- Syllables
- TRY · ful (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What trifle means
Most people know trifle in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
A dessert of cake, custard and fruit in layers
In a sentence: Aunt Rose layered sponge cake, custard and berries in a glass bowl to make a trifle.
Where it comes from: It comes from an old French word for a joke or mockery. The dessert name dates from the 1590s and comes from the same word as trifle meaning something unimportant.
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