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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Trubil(l, Troubil(l, Trib(b)ill, n. (adj.¹). Also: trubile, trubel(l, trubl(e, trubbill, -yll, trubble, trublie, truable, turble, troubile, -yll, -ell, trouble, troubbill, trowbil(l, -ell, trowble, trobile, -ill, -ell, troble, tribil, -yll, -ul, trible, trybbyll, trebill. Pl. also trublus. [ME and e.m.E. trubuil (c1230), troubyl (c1400), trobelle (Lydgate), trouble (c1435), trowbul (c1460), trowbyll (1463), OF truble, troble, F. trouble, f. as Trubill v.]

A. noun. 1. Affliction of mind or body; distress, perturbation; hardship, ill-fortune.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 370.
Swa intermellit is aduersitie With eirdlie ioy … that na state is frie Without trubill or sum vexatioun a1500 Henr. Fab. 1315 (Bann.).
Bot for our grit offens Thow sendis ws truble [Bass. troubill] and plaigis soir a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 371 (Asl.).
Quha euer ȝit had coniunit in a persoun … Sic temporall truble with hartlie devocioun … As had King Dauid 1490 Irland Mir. I 55/22.
Quhilis Jhesus grauntis the persoune that he be conseruit ore deliuerit fra aduersite and trubile ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 490.
Grant me in trubill to cry apoun thé and leif thé nocht c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 160/19.
Trest weill thy truble neir is at ane end c1552 Lynd. Mon. 344.
Frome trubbyll quhen I fastast fle, Than fynd I most aduersate 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 41/2.
Joifullie lifte up youre eyes from the present truble to the happie ende that Godd uill turne it to 1666 Laing MSS 351.
I know Gipson will pretend his loses, bot hee was at too grit eas when manie betir was in trubell(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 291.
Ȝit efter ioy oftymes cummis cair, And troubill [Bann. truble] efter grit prosperitie 1490 Irland Mir. II 31/2.
Quhen … Jhesus come in the waurld … this auld innemy was in gret trouble 1533 Bell. Livy I 167/31.
Desiring pietuusly the Romane pepill to support thame aganis thare troubil [B. trible] 1533 Gau 30/20.
Trowbil 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. Prov. No. 56.
Nothing bredeth baine to the body sooner than trouble of mynde 1602 Dundee Shipping P. 76.
Trowbell(c) c1460 Dietary 13 (Makc.).
Meik in tribill, glaid in pouerte, Rych with litill 1549 Compl. 75/17.
That ȝour grite afflictione ande tribil sal turne in ioye ande prosperite 1562-3 Winȝet II 5/26.
For His awin names saik, quhilk throw the trible of the Catholikis in sum partis at this præsent is pollutit amangis our aduersaris

b. An instance of affliction, distress, worry; a care, worry; a misfortune.(a) 1490 Irland Mir. I 55/26.
The secund way God preseruis and deliueris the persoune fra trubilis to cum 1533 Bell. Livy I 46/33.
Quhen euery trubill and fere [L. curis] of extern and vncouth inemyis war sett aside c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6268.
Mark weil … Of this fals warld the trublus transitory 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 30.
Gif anie man … begins to make disposition of his lands; quhilk in time of his health he did not; that he did the samine be ane troubil of minde, and not be ane sure and certaine deliberation 1640 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 595.
Your troubles are many … yet not … beyond the measure of infinite wisdom(b) 1561 M. Napier Mem. J. Napier 73.
The quhilk trybbyllis gyf your Ladyschip had knawyne be quhat personys thai war moifit, ye wald nocht beleifit 1562-3 Winȝet I 49/20.
Thai suffer in this lyfe … that be diuers tribulis thai mot enter … in the lyfe eternall

c. A calamity, disaster. 1490 Irland Mir. II 5/14.
The flud of Noye and drownyn of the pepil the submersioun of Sodome and Gomor and vthir citeis and mony vthir diuers plagis and trublis 1525 St. A. Formulare I 270.
All the plagis and trublis that lychtit on … Jherusalem therfore and apon Symon Magus for his symony

2. Public disorder; discord, strife. 1442 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V ii 663 (5 Sept.).
Als lang tyme as the cuntreth is in trubble c1475 Wall. xi 803.
Ȝon tyrand haldys the rewmys at trowbill bathe 1490 Irland Mir. I 13/2.
We se gret trubile in this realme, hungere, mortalite, rebellioune, and inobediens 1513–14 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 11.
I man now in tyme of trubill and of the kingis les age mak fer largear cost upone the keping of the said hous c1522 Doug. in Doug. (Sm.) I cii.
He has bene the caus of all the dissention and trobill of this realme 1533 Bell. Livy II 121/22.
Ane certane of thame that made maist troubill to be slane vnder brandreth of irne 1536–7 Sc. Hist. Rev. VII 358.
In the defence of him self and vtheris our tenentis … in the tyme of truble and cummer 1561 Crim. Trials I i 409.
Thai wer … chargit … to pas abak, and devyid thame of the said burghe, for eschewing trouble and misordour in the samyn a1585 Maitl. Q. 26/7.
I can not sing for the vexatioun Of Frenchemen … That hes maid trowbill in this natioun 1583 Cal. Sc. P. VI 417.
Quhen as this country wes in trowbil 1584 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 346.
For … eschewing of trubill and nicht walking 1596 Dalr. II 290/31.
Quhen he saw the cardinal full of blodie woundes … his harte sair he returnes, that he war not the cause of new trubble

b. An instance of disorder or strife; a conflict. Freq., (the) troubles, political and military strife, civil unrest. c1526 Misc. Spald. C. II xxxiv.
Ther wes a great truble and civill dissention among the Clanchattan 1559 St. A. Kirk S. 7.
At the begynning of thir praesent trowblis for the religioun 1569 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 151.
The haill and only inlake hes bein in the civill troubles that God has sufferit the countrey to be plaguit with a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 305/30.
Quhone thai could persaue … Ane trouble in the cuntrie ryis 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 302.
Which journey held off that grit truble, that thei thocht to haue begune at the inputting of the corne to the Aprile nixt thaireftir a1578 Pitsc. I 49/5.
Schort quhill efter this thair followit ane wther trubill at Dumbartane to no les damnage to the contrie thane the wther c1590 Fowler II 94/16.
From the prelats ambitions floweth all these trobles and tu[mu]lts that ar fostered and sustened ama[n]gs the barrons 1596–7 Elgin Rec. II 47.
To fulfil the act maid anent movaris of trubels 1597 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 18b.
Thes is the trobell we fell ine Dansking be our compeneye Item I haue payet ine the ferest for our trobell falene out betuex the Engellis mene and ous iiii gudis 1643 S. Leith Rec. 44/2.
To cause big up the breaches in the churchȝard dike … till the tym of the trubles be gone 1662 Sc. N. & Q. 2 Ser. IV 135.
He was minor all the tyme of the troubells and so was not in the least ingaged 1679 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 171.
Recompense for the town's heavy burdens and losses during the troubles 1689 Cramond Kirk S. III 6 Dec.
Mr John Hamilton (formerly a Presbiterian minister in the county of Doun in Ireland, haveing come over by reason of the troubles there)

c. Of natural phenomena: Turbulence; (a) disturbance, commotion. 1490 Irland Mir. I 77/33.
Paradice is a richt nobile place … quhare na trubile nore commocioune is of wynd, rayne, snaw or vthire trubile 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 139.
Like till Cochyte the riuer infernall, With vile water quhilk maid a hiddious trubil [L. trubbyll] Rinnand ouirheid, blude reid

3. Harm, injury; wrong; interference, harassment. Also, an instance of this. 1491 Lennox Mun. 144.
As to the trobill don to ȝung Thomas of Maxuell 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 247.
Of thi tryggettis quhat tong may tell the tribbill [Sm. trible, Ruddim. tribyll] 1514 Echt-Forbes Chart. 74.
That nane of you tak upon hand to mak ony lattin trubill or impediment to [etc.] 1530 Aberd. B. Rec. I 448.
Neuer to rewele … the secreits … of this guyd toun … to ewaid … trubill of thair innymeis 1544 Buccleuch Mun. II 420.
In defens of our landis … fra molestatioun and turble of theifis a1578 Pitsc. I 19/12.
The mischeif, slawchtar, baneisment troubbillis and vexatiounis quhilk the chancellar thocht to haue done to ws 1578 Reg. Privy C. III 52.
He being cumand up the watter of Clide … lippanning na trubill to have bene done to him

4. Labour, effort; care, pains (taken over some matter or to achieve some end); bother, inconvenience.(a) 1490 Irland Mir. I 144/13.
Hire blist sone grew in hir wame without hevines ore troubile of hire 1535 Stewart 24556.
Trowand the trubill that nycht tha had tane, Had causit thame to tyne curage ilk ane 1575 3rd Rep. Hist. MSS 419/1.
The lang trubill … the laird of Lekky hes sustinet be the persewt of the Erll of Menteithe 1586 Warrender P. MS 171.
This malytyus inventyouns be swm … hes put ws to gret trublie and fasscherye 1619 Falkirk Par. Rec. I 24.
For his paines and trobell taken by him in the ingather of the money 1660 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 194.
But as I noways doubt of your good resolutiones in this, so I at this tyme sall give yow no mor truble(b) 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 239.
The occasione off all this trebill I swstyne is my laboris and attendance to hycht besynes concernyng this realm(c) 1665 Kingarth Par. Rec. 35.
Mary Hunter … freithes … William of all truable and caire of the said child

b. An action at law, viewed as an inconvenient or troublesome matter. 1502 Douglas Bequest 10 Sept.
For costis … and expensis sustenit threwch the trobile or pley maid … apon the said landis 1533 Bell. Livy II 4/10.
The aduocatis of this virgine allegit hir fader … wald compere within twa dayis gif he war aduertist of the trubil [B. trible] movit aganis his dochter 1627 Rep. Parishes 139.
To avoid expensses & trowbillis of law

5. Controversy, disputation, dissension, or an instance of this. Also attrib. a1570-86 Dunb. in Maitl. F. 250/17.
Follow on peis fley trubbill [OUP trubill] and debait 1520 Edinb. B. Rec. I 200.
Gif ony truble … happinis amangis ony of the saidis craftis, thai till meyne the samyn amangis tham self in cheritable maner 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 402.
Quhate trauers, troubyll, and calamitie Haith bene in courte within thir houndreth ȝeris 1564 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I 92.
Lyartis … war neidfwll … qwhen the prynce had to do and to rawert thairto agane qwhen trobles war done vpoun the pryce thay war gewin fwrtht for 1558-66 Knox II 279.
Wisdome should persuade your grace, never to raise truble for that, whiche to this day hath not trubled your majestieattrib. 1638 Bk. Pasquils 33.
A mutinous muckle trouble-feast, A prattie, peevish, monstrous beast [sc. the 1638 General Assembly]

6. A fissure or fault in a coal-seam, or the material occupying such a fault. 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 267.
I have entered underground, as it were at the point C, … at the very grass cropp, and that alteration of course was not occasioned by any gae or trouble 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 276.
This trouble or gae then, is a body of metal falling in on the course of the coal, or freestone, [1] obstructing, or [2] altering their kindly and natural course, [3] keeping no regular course itself, and being of a nature always different from the metal, whose course it interrupts 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 276.
Gae's and dykes … being the occasion of so much trouble in the working of coal … the coal-hewers call them ordinarily by that name trouble 1673 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 4 Oct.
1 beirer beiring moorment at the out puting of a trubl 1674 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 21 Feb.
For puting throw 2 trubles

B. adj. a. Of persons: Troublesome. b. Of weather: Turbulent.a. c1460 Dietary 27.
Suffer at thi tabill no dissencioune, Haue in despit folkis that beyn trowbleb. c1475 Wall. vii 182.
Trubbill [1570 trubillous] weddyr makis schippis to droune