Other forms: trickling, trickled, trickles
To trickle is to flow in a very thin stream. Water trickled down, a trickle of blood, trickle out slowly.
It is the smallest flow that is still a flow, which is why it works for water and for people arriving a few at a time. Trickle-down is the economic claim that wealth at the top reaches the bottom, and it is used sceptically more often than not. Note that the word arose from mishearing an older one.
1verbtrickleTo flow in a very thin stream.
“Sweat trickled down his face as he climbed the steep hill.”
2nounsmallA very small flow or number.
“At first, customers came in a trickle, but by noon the shop was full.”
trickle is a small flow.
Middle English triklen probably arose from mishearing striklen, to trickle, when the s attached to the previous word.
Middle English
triklen
English, today
trickle
From Middle English triklen, likely a rebracketing (e.g. teres strikled > teerys trikled (“tears trickled”)) of Middle English striklen (“to trickle”), equivalent to strike + -le. For other similar cases of incorrect division, see also apron, daffodil, newt, nickname, orange, umpire.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA