drill1

[dril] /drɪl/
noun
1.
Machinery, Building Trades.
  1. a shaftlike tool with two or more cutting edges for making holes in firm materials, especially by rotation.
  2. a tool, especially a hand tool, for holding and operating such a tool.
2.
Military.
  1. training in formal marching or other precise military or naval movements.
  2. an exercise in such training:
    gun drill.
3.
any strict, methodical, repetitive, or mechanical training, instruction, or exercise:
a spelling drill.
4.
the correct or customary manner of proceeding.
5.
Also called snail bore. a gastropod, Urosalpinx cinera, that bores holes in shellfish, as oysters.
verb (used with object)
6.
to pierce or bore a hole in (something).
7.
to make (a hole) by boring.
8.
Military. to instruct and exercise in formation marching and movement, in the carrying of arms during formal marching, and in the formal handling of arms for ceremonies and guard work.
9.
to impart (knowledge) by strict training, discipline, or repetition.
verb (used without object)
10.
to pierce or bore something with or as with a drill.
11.
to go through exercise in military or other training.
Origin
1605-15; < Dutch dril (noun), drillen (v.)
Related forms
drillable, adjective
drillability, noun
driller, noun
undrillable, adjective
Synonyms
3. See exercise.

drill2

[dril] /drɪl/
noun
1.
a small furrow made in the soil in which to sow seeds.
2.
a row of seeds or plants thus sown.
3.
a machine for sowing in rows and for covering the seeds when sown.
verb (used with object)
4.
to sow (seed) in drills.
5.
to sow or plant (soil, a plot of ground, etc.) in drills.
verb (used without object)
6.
to sow seed in drills.
Origin
1720-30; compare drill rill, German Rille furrow, rillen to groove
Related forms
driller, noun

drill3

[dril] /drɪl/
noun
1.
a strong, twilled cotton fabric.
Origin
1735-45; short for drilling2

drill4

[dril] /drɪl/
noun
1.
a large, baboonlike monkey, Mandrillus leucophaeus, of western Africa, similar to the related mandrill but smaller and less brightly colored: now endangered.
Origin
1635-45; of obscure origin; cf. mandrill
Examples from the web for drill
  • In tamping down some in a bore-hole with a steel star drill.
  • We filled up the hole with all the used-up diamond drill bits and sent a bunch of pipe whistling down the hole.
  • They could then pump the escaping methane to the surface of the seafloor through another drill hole.
  • Engineers predict it will take up to four months to drill a hole large enough to rescue the trapped miners.
  • If somebody takes a power drill and drills a hole in the bottom of the boat, we're all screwed.
  • Seal the hole and drill a new one for the next load.
  • If you go to the hardware store looking for a drill, chances are what you really want is not a drill but a hole.
  • The boat's drill spun deeper and deeper into the ocean floor.
  • Researchers have fashioned a microwave drill using parts found in common kitchen appliances.
  • Field paleontologists drill under a mummified dinosaur's ten-ton body block, now separated from its tail.
British Dictionary definitions for drill

drill1

/drɪl/
noun
1.
a rotating tool that is inserted into a drilling machine or tool for boring cylindrical holes
2.
a hand tool, either manually or electrically operated, for drilling holes
3.
(military)
  1. training in procedures or movements, as for ceremonial parades or the use of weapons
  2. (as modifier): drill hall
4.
strict and often repetitious training or exercises used as a method of teaching
5.
(informal) correct procedure or routine
6.
a marine gastropod mollusc, Urosalpinx cinera, closely related to the whelk, that preys on oysters
verb
7.
to pierce, bore, or cut (a hole) in (material) with or as if with a drill: to drill a hole, to drill metal
8.
to instruct or be instructed in military procedures or movements
9.
(transitive) to teach by rigorous exercises or training
10.
(transitive) (informal) to hit (a ball) in a straight line at great speed
11.
(transitive) (informal) to riddle with bullets
See also drill down
Derived Forms
drillable, adjective
driller, noun
Word Origin
C17: from Middle Dutch drillen; related to Old High German drāen to turn

drill2

/drɪl/
noun
1.
a machine for planting seeds in rows or depositing fertilizer
2.
a small furrow in which seeds are sown
3.
a row of seeds planted using a drill
verb
4.
to plant (seeds) by means of a drill
Derived Forms
driller, noun
Word Origin
C18: of uncertain origin; compare German Rille furrow

drill3

/drɪl/
noun
1.
a hard-wearing twill-weave cotton cloth, used for uniforms, etc
Word Origin
C18: variant of German Drillich, from Latin trilīx, from tri- + līcium thread

drill4

/drɪl/
noun
1.
an Old World monkey, Mandrillus leucophaeus, of W Africa, related to the mandrill but smaller and less brightly coloured
Word Origin
C17: from a West African word; compare mandrill
Word Origin and History for drill
n.

"tool for making holes," 1610s, from Dutch dril, drille "a hole, instrument for boring holes," from drillen "to bore (a hole), turn around, whirl" (see drill (v.)).

"small furrow," 1727; also "machine for sowing seeds" (1731), from obsolete drill "rill, trickling stream" (1640s), of unknown origin; perhaps connected to drill (n.1).

kind of coarse, twilled cloth, 1743, from French drill, from German drillich "heavy, coarse cotton or linen fabric," from Old High German adjective drilich "threefold," from Latin trilix (genitive trilicis) "triply twilled" (see trellis). So called in reference to the method of weaving it.

"West African baboon species," 1640s, perhaps from a native word (cf. mandrill).

v.

c.1600 (implied in drilling), from Dutch drillen "to bore (a hole), turn around, whirl," from Proto-Germanic *threljanan (cf. Middle High German drillen "to turn, round off, bore," Old Engish þyrel "hole"), from PIE *tere- "to turn, rub" (see throw (v.)). Sense of "to instruct in military exercise" is 1620s (also in Dutch drillen and in the Danish and German cognates), probably from the notion of troops "turning" in maneuvers. Extended noun sense of "the agreed-upon procedure" is from 1940. Related: Drilled.

Slang definitions & phrases for drill

drill

noun

The way of doing something; the plan of action: Pain in the ass, but that's the drill (1940+)

verb
  1. To speed with force, esp through obstacles: skimmed by his head and drilled through the closed window (1674+)
  2. To shoot; kill by shooting: Go drill the mutt. He's strictly stool (1808+)
  3. To hit a hard, straight grounder or line drive: Lockman drilled a single past Hodges (1940s+ Baseball)
Related Terms

blanket drill, monkey drill, sack duty