drilling1

[dril-ing] /ˈdrɪl ɪŋ/
noun
1.
the act of a person or thing that drills.
Origin
1615-25; drill1 + -ing1

drilling2

[dril-ing] /ˈdrɪl ɪŋ/
noun
1.
drill3 .
Origin
1630-40; alteration of German Drillich, itself alteration of Latin trilīx triple-twilled (German dri- three- replacing Latin tri-)

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
Examples from the web for drilling
  • But the real use lies in the work of drilling, mining and welding steel fabrication.
  • Prospects for local onshore oil production are good as a drilling program is underway.
  • Visitors can watch history in the making, as drilling and blasting continue on the rest of the sculpture.
  • It moves from there to tax and spending cuts, deregulation and increased oil drilling.
  • We faculty tend to focus on covering our content and drilling students to ensure they are mastering a skill set.
  • drilling for natural gas has gotten ahead of the science needed to prove it safe.
  • drilling is a technique commonly used to sample teeth and bone, because it minimizes damage to the precious specimen.
  • There would be almost no difference in the price of oil only in the cost of drilling for the oil companies.
  • At utility-scale, the pumped storage would begin with drilling.
  • One deficit is the before-drilling snapshot to go along with their after-drilling snapshot.
British Dictionary definitions for drilling

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

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

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 drilling

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 drilling

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