Trill

In the Star Trek universe, the Trill are a humanoid alien species and the symbionts that sometimes live inside them, both from a planet of the same name.

Trill differ in appearance from humans only in the spots that along their sides from the top of the head to the feet. In their initial appearance in The Next Generation episode The Host, the Trill Odan and Kareel have triangular forehead ridge and no spots. The symbionts are rarely seen, as they reside inside the torso of the host Trill. They would be best described as space slugs, in appearance.

The Trill government perpetuates a myth that most Trill cannot be joined with a symbiont. In fact, most can, but are not considered worthy, and there aren't enough to go around. Before joining, a host Trill usually goes through an intense screening process.

Notable Trill include the Dax symbiont (ten hosts, including Curzon Dax, Jadzia Dax, and Ezri Dax), Odan, Kareel.

Trill appeared in nearly every episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, thanks to the presence of Jadzia Dax and later Ezri Dax.

It's unclear whether the Trill are part of the United Federation of Planets, though several Dax hosts were part of Starfleet.

Sources

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Trill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trill_%28Star_Trek%29

In music notation, a trill is a type of ornamentation indicated by the abbreviation "tr." followed by a zig-zag line parallel to the staff beginning directly above the note it affects. When played, a trilled note is rapidly alternated with the note one step higher for its duration.

For instance, a half note with a trill indicated might be played the same as a series of thirty-second notes, and would look something like this:

    /\        tr. /\/\/\/                                 
---| /-----------------------------------------------------|
   |/                                                      |
---/-------------------------*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*-|
  /|     4     O           *|  *|  *|  *|  *|  *|  *|  *|  |
-/-|/\--------|-----------|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|-|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|--|
|  |  |  4    |           |_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|  |
|--|--|-------|-----------|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|-|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|--|
 \ |  |       |                                            |
--\|_/-----------------------------------------------------|
   |                                                       
  \|                                                       

Typically, a trill is begun and ended somewhat slowly and rapidly sped up in the middle for stylistic reasons. This is a normal and expected interpretation of the trill symbol.

Trill (?), v. i. [OE. trillen to roll, turn round; of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. trilla to roll, Dan. trilde, Icel. þyrla to whirl, and E. thrill. Cf. Thrill.]

To flow in a small stream, or in drops rapidly succeeding each other; to trickle.

Sir W. Scott.

And now and then an ample tear trilled down Her delicate cheek. Shak.

Whispered sounds Of waters, trilling from the riven stone. Glover.

© Webster 1913.

Trill (?), v. t. [OE. trillen; cf. Sw. trilla to roll.]

To turn round; to twirl.

Gascoigne.

Bid him descend and trill another pin. Chaucer.

© Webster 1913.

Trill, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Trilled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Trilling.] [It. trillare; probably of imitative origin.]

To impart the quality of a trill to; to utter as, or with, a trill; as, to trill the r; to trill a note.

The sober-suited songstress trills her lay. Thomson.

© Webster 1913.

Trill, v. i.

To utter trills or a trill; to play or sing in tremulous vibrations of sound; to have a trembling sound; to quaver.

To judge of trilling notes and tripping feet. Dryden.

© Webster 1913.

Trill, n. [It. trillo, fr. trillare. See Trill to shake.]

1.

A sound, of consonantal character, made with a rapid succession of partial or entire intermissions, by the vibration of some one part of the organs in the mouth -- tongue, uvula, epiglottis, or lip -- against another part; as, the r is a trill in most languages.

2.

The action of the organs in producing such sounds; as, to give a trill to the tongue. d

3. Mus.

A shake or quaver of the voice in singing, or of the sound of an instrument, produced by the rapid alternation of two contiguous tones of the scale; as, to give a trill on the high C. See Shake.

© Webster 1913.