Now dial. Forms: α. 1 tyrdel, 5 -dyl, 6 -dell, -dle, tirdil, turdyll, 6–7 terdle, 7 tir-, turdle; β. 5 tredel(e, triddil, tridel, trydelle, 7–9 truddle, 6– treddle; γ. 6 treatle. See also TRATTLE sb.2 [ME. tyrdyl, etc. (whence by metathesis tridil, treddle), = OE. tyrdel, dim. of tord, TURD: see -EL suffix1.] A pellet of sheep’s or goat’s dung: usually in pl.
α. c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 72. ʓenim gate tyrdlu. Ibid., 214. Haran tyrdlu.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 494/2. Tyrdyl, schepys donge.
1530. Palsgr., 281/2. Tyrdell. Ibid., 284/1. Turdyll shepes donge, fient de brebis.
1552. Huloet, Tyrdles of gootes or shepe, rudus, eris.
1563. Hyll, Art Garden. (1593), 107. If you take the seeds of euery colour of Gilliflours and put them altogither into a thin small reed, or terdle of a sheep or goat.
1647. Hexham, I. Sheeps dung or tirdles.
1671. Skinner, Etymol. Ling. Angl., The Treddles vel Truddles, q. d. Turdles.
β. c. 1410. Master of Game, xi. (1904), 40. Men clepen þe steppes or þe marckes of þe Otere … and his fumes tredeles or spraintes.
14[?]. MS. Lincoln Med., lf. 291 (Halliw.). The triddils of an hare.
1483. Cath. Angl., 393/2. A Trydelle, ruder.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 55 b. Taking a Treddle of Sheepe, or Goates doung.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XIX. xii. II. 33. The round treddles of a Goat.
1736. W. Ellis, New Exper. Husb., 25. Price for the neat Treddle, clear of all Hay, Straw, Flaff, or other Mixture.
1905. in Eng. Dial. Dict., from Lincoln, Herts, Kent, Surrey.
