drill

DRIL/dɹɪl/

27 meanings of drill

1
nouncountable
A tool that makes holes by spinning a sharp bit into wood, metal, or other material.
Like twisting a pointed screw round and round until it sinks into wood, but powered and much faster.
I used a drill to make holes for the new shelf.
She charged the battery before using the cordless drill.
2
verbtransitive
To make a hole in something by cutting into it with a spinning tool.
Like pushing a sharp pencil round and round to make a hole in paper.
Drill a small hole here before you put in the screw.
He drilled four holes in the wall for the brackets.
Similarbore, gouge, excavate
Note
3
nouncountable or uncountable
A practice activity you repeat to get ready for something that might happen later.
Like practicing a game over and over so you know what to do when it counts.
We had a fire drill at school this morning.
The soldiers lined up for their morning drill.
Similarexercise, rehearsal, practice
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4
verbintransitive
To practice doing something again and again, often as a soldier does.
Like a team practicing the same play over and over.
The troops drilled until their movements were perfect.
New recruits drill every morning on the parade ground.
Similartrain, practice
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5
nouncountable
A short exercise you do over and over to get better at one sports skill.
Like practicing free throws again and again until they go in.
The coach set up a passing drill for the team.
We practiced the same shooting drill until it felt easy.
Similarexercise
Note
6
verbtransitive
To train people by making them practice something many times.
Like a teacher having the class repeat words until everyone remembers them.
The sergeant drilled the new soldiers every day.
Coaches drill their players in the basics.
Similartrain, coach, school, instruct
Note
7
verbtransitive
To say something over and over so someone will remember it.
Like hearing a song so many times that you can't forget the words.
Mom drilled the safety rules into us before the trip.
Teachers drill the times tables until kids know them by heart.
Similardrum, hammer, instill
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8
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To look at something more closely to find more detail.
Like zooming in on a map to see the small streets.
Let's drill down into the numbers to see what went wrong.
The reporter drilled deeper to find the real cause.
Similardig, delve, probe
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9
nouncountable
The part of a drilling tool that turns and powers the cutting bit.
The bit was still sharp, but the drill itself had stopped turning.
Push the bit firmly into the drill before tightening it.
Note
10
verbtransitive
To throw, hit, or kick something very hard.
Like kicking a ball as hard as you possibly can.
He drilled the ball into the back of the net.
She can drill a shot from outside the box.
Similarfire, blast, rifle, smash
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11
verbtransitive
In baseball, to hit a batter on purpose with a thrown ball.
The pitcher drilled the batter right in the ribs.
He warned he might drill the next hitter who crowded the plate.
Similarhit, plunk
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12
verbslangvulgartransitive
A crude, vulgar way to say to have sex with someone.
He boasted about how many women he wanted to drill.
She complained that he just drilled her and fell asleep.
Similarpenetrate, mount, take, bang, poke
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13
verbslangtransitive
To shoot someone, especially to kill them with a gun.
The gangster threatened to drill anyone who talked to the police.
Two rivals got drilled in the alley last night.
Similarshoot
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14
noununcountable
A kind of rap music with harsh, violent lyrics that started on Chicago's South Side.
Like a darker, angrier cousin of ordinary rap music.
He only listens to drill these days.
The playlist mixed drill with older trap tracks.
Note
15
nouncountable
One song or live show of drill music.
The crowd went wild during the final drill of the night.
Her first drill drew thousands of views online.
Similartrack, song
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16
nouncountable
A farm machine that makes holes and drops seeds into the soil in rows.
Like a machine that pokes holes in the ground and tucks a seed into each one.
The farmer pulled an old drill behind his tractor.
A horse-drawn drill planted the wheat in neat lines.
Similarseeder, planter
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17
verbtransitive
To plant seeds in rows by dropping them along a thin trench.
Like dropping beads one by one along a line in the dirt.
The farmer drilled the barley in straight rows.
They drill wheat across these fields every spring.
Similarsow, plant
18
nouncountable or uncountable
A tough cotton cloth with a slanted, diagonal weave.
Like denim: a thick, hard-wearing cloth with a slanted pattern in the threads.
The workers' overalls were made from heavy drill.
She chose drill for the curtains because it lasts for years.
Note
19
nouncountable
A small sea snail that bores holes in the shells of oysters and other shellfish to eat them.
Like a tiny snail with a built-in drill for opening its dinner.
A drill had bored a neat hole through the oyster's shell.
Oyster farmers lose many shellfish to the hungry drill.
Note
20
nouncountable
A large West African monkey that looks like a mandrill but has a plain, dark face.
Like a mandrill, but without the bright colors on its face.
A drill foraged for fruit on the rainforest floor.
Zookeepers fed the young drill by hand.
Note
21
nouncountable
A small trench or groove cut in the soil to drop seeds into.
Like a tiny ditch in the dirt where each seed is laid.
She pressed each pea into the drill with her thumb.
Rain washed soil back into the shallow drill.
Similarfurrow
22
nouncountable
A line of seeds planted along a single furrow.
Like a line of dots planted in the earth.
A neat drill of beans came up along the fence.
Birds ate half the drill before it sprouted.
Similarrow
23
nounobsolete
A very small stream.
Springs through the pleasant meadows pour their drills.
c. 1635, George Sandys
24
verb
To let water trickle away slowly.
25
verbobsolete
To make something last longer, or waste time.
26
verbobsolete
To tempt someone or lead them on.
27
verbobsolete
To make something slowly waste away.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–15, 19

From an old Dutch word drillen, meaning to bore or move in a circle.

Meanings 16–17, 21–22

Maybe the same origin as etymology 3; the German word Rille can mean "small furrow."

Meaning 20

The source is unknown, but it is probably of African origin; compare mandrill.

Meaning 18

From the German word Drillich, meaning denim or canvas.