drivel

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɹɪv.əl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: driv‧el
• Rhymes: -ɪvəl

Etymology 1

From Middle English drivelen, drevelen, from Old English dreflian (“to drivel, slobber, slaver”), from Proto-Germanic *drablijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerebʰ- (“cloudy, turbid; yeast”).

Noun

drivel (countable and uncountable, plural drivels)

1. senseless talk; nonsense
2. saliva, drool
3. (obsolete) A fool; an idiot.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Philip Sidney to this entry?)

Translations

senseless talk

• Bulgarian: глупости (bg) pl (gluposti), безсмислици (bg) pl (bezsmislici)
• Catalan: ximpleries (ca) f pl
• Czech: cancy m pl
• Dutch: geneuzel (nl) n
• Finnish: höpinä, höpöpuhe, höpötys (fi), pöty (fi), hölynpöly (fi)
• French: foutaise (fr)
• German: Blödsinn (de) m, Faselei f, Gefasel (de) n, Gelaber (de) n, Laberei f, Geschwafel (de) n, Schwafelei f, Gewäsch (de) n, Geschwätz (de) n, Gesülze n, Gerede (de) n, Palaver (de) n
• Greek: αερολογίες (el) f or pl (aerologíes)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: sproloquio (it) m, vaniloquio (it) m, ciancia (it) f, corbelleria (it) f
• Maori: ngutungutuahi, kutukutuahi
• Polish: bełkot (pl) m
• Portuguese: besteira (pt) f, bobagem (pt) f
• Russian: бессмы́слица (ru) f (bessmýslica), ерунда́ (ru) f (jerundá), чепуха́ (ru) f (čepuxá), чушь (ru) f (čušʹ), вздор (ru) m (vzdor)
• Spanish: tonterías (es) f pl, chorradas f pl, babosadas (es) f pl, leseras f pl, macanas (es) f pl, monserga (es) f
• Swedish: dravel (sv) n

saliva, drool

• Bulgarian: лиги (bg) pl (ligi), слюнка f (sljunka)
• Dutch: kwijl (nl) n, speeksel (nl) n
• Finnish: sylki (fi), kuola (fi)
• French: bave (fr) f
• German: Geifer (de) m, Sabber (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: σάλιο (el) n (sálio)
• Hindi: लार (hi) f (lār)
• Portuguese: baba (pt) f
• Russian: слюна́ (ru) f (sljuná), слюни (ru) pl (sljuni)
• Swedish: drägel n, dregel n

Verb

drivel (third-person singular simple present drivels, present participle (US) driveling or drivelling, simple past and past participle (US) driveled or drivelled)

1. To have saliva drip from the mouth; to drool.
2. To talk nonsense; to talk senselessly.
3. To be weak or foolish; to dote.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

     This drivelling love is like a great natural, that runs lolling up and down to hide his bauble in a hole.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (have saliva drip from the mouth): drool
• (talk nonsense): See also Thesaurus:nonsense.

Translations

to have saliva drip from the mouth

• Bulgarian: лигавя се (ligavja se)
• Catalan: bavejar (ca)
• Dutch: kwijlen (nl)
• French: baver (fr)
• German: sabbern (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: βγάζω σάλια (vgázo sália)
• Maori: hāwareware
• Portuguese: babar (pt)
• Spanish: babear (es)
• Swedish: dregla (sv), drägla

to talk nonsense

• Bulgarian: говоря глупости (govorja gluposti)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 胡说 (zh) (húshuō)，胡扯 (zh) (húchě)

• Czech: blábolat, žvanit (cs)
• Finnish: höpsiä (fi), höpöttää (fi), puhua puuta heinää
• French: radoter (fr), baragouiner (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: αερολογώ (el) (aerologó), σαλιαρίζω (el) (saliarízo), λέω ανοησίες (léo anoïsíes)
• Maori: ngutungutuahi, kutukutuahi
• Swedish: dravla

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: ^{(please verify)} faseln (de), ^{(please verify)} geifern (de), ^{(please verify)} speicheln (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Welsh: ^{(please verify)} glafoeri (cy)

Etymology 2

Compare Old Dutch drevel, "a scullion".

Noun

drivel (plural drivels)

1. (obsolete) A servant; a drudge.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Huloet to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Edmund Spenser to this entry?)

References

• “drivel”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• drevil