Obs. or dial. Forms: 7 trevall, (travailler), travelley, 7–8 travelly, 7, 9 dial. trevally. [perh. a corruption of REVEILLE.]
1. A signal made by beating the drum; also attrib., trevally-beat. Also transf.
1645. R. Symonds, Diary Civ. War (Camden), 224. When the trevall was beate, and they lett downe their bridge for their scouts.
1675. Crowne, Country Wit, II. i. Beat a Travalley on the drums of their ears.
1685. B. Ringrose, Bucaniers Amer., II. IV. 10. We heard … a small arm discharged, and after that a drum beating a Travailler.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xix. (Roxb.), 154/2. The seuerall Beates or points of warre are these … 14 A Revally, or Trevally, and ruvalley.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 144. The next Morning I … Landed presently after Travally-Beat.
1798. O’Keeffe, Highland Reel, I. ii. Your rattan would be the drumstick of the corps, to beat the travally on my back—row-dy-dow!
2. A disturbance, a noisy ‘to-do.’
1819. St. Patrick, I. 162 (Jam.). Gin ye could airt me tae ane of them [runnigates], we wad let you see a fine trevallie.
1866. Kennedy, Irish Celts, 19 (E.D.D.). There was such a thravally ruz … about it.
1881. Cumberland Gloss., Trevally, disturbance, quarrelling.
