thiller

English

Etymology

From thill +‎ -er.

Noun

thiller (plural thillers)

  1. The horse that goes between the thills, or shafts of a carriage, and supports them.
    • 1557 February 13 (Gregorian calendar), Thomas Tusser, A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie, London: […] Richard Tottel, →OCLC; republished London: […] Robert Triphook, […], and William Sancho, […], 1810, →OCLC:
      , And apron, and scissars for head and for tail, / Whole bridle and saddle, whitleather, and nall, / With collars and harness, for thiller and all […]
    • 1674, N[athaniel] Fairfax, chapter V, in A Treatise of the Bulk and Selvedge of the World. Wherein the Greatness, Littleness and Lastingness of Bodies are Freely Handled. […], London: […] Robert Boulter, […], →OCLC, page 153:
      [T]he middle of it [i.e., the thigh, is] the prop or thiller, the body the vveight, and the leg the povver; either of vvhich being brought by a ſharp angle to a dovvnright or perpendicular or more, vvith the thiller, vvill by ſo much leſſen the vveight, from the yielded aſſumption in that mechanick povver, That the point, vvhich is toucht by a perpendicular from the centre of heavineſs, is one of the terms: […]
      A figurative use.
  2. The last horse in a team.
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