DictionaryAI

hill

HIL/hɪl/

Pluralhills

6 meanings of hill

Practice

  1. 1
    raised landnouncountable
    A raised piece of land that is higher than the ground around it but smaller than a mountain.

    Like a small bump of land, not as big as a mountain.

    We walked up the hill to get a better view of the town.

    Their house sits on top of a small hill.

    UsageSay on a hill, and walk up or down a hill.

    Similarrise, knoll, height, elevation, mound

    Oppositevalley, hollow, depression

    Note
  2. 2
    sloping roadnouncountable
    A part of a road that goes up or down a slope.

    The car struggled to climb the steep hill.

    We coasted down the hill on our bikes.

    Similarslope, incline, grade, gradient, climb

  3. 3
    baseball moundnouncountable
    In baseball, the small raised area where the pitcher stands to throw.

    The pitcher walked slowly to the hill before the final inning.

    A fresh arm took the hill in the seventh.

    UsageUsually the hill: a pitcher takes the hill to start pitching.

    Similarmound

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    verbtransitive
    To pile soil or other material into a mound, especially around the bottom of plants.

    Like building a little wall of dirt around each plant.

    We hill the potatoes twice during the growing season.

    Hill the young plants to protect their roots.

    UsageOften hill up. You can hill the soil or hill the plants.

    Similarmound, bank

    Note
  2. 5
    nounUScountable
    In gardening, a small pile of soil around the bottom of a plant or group of plants.

    Like tucking a little blanket of dirt around a plant.

    She built a small hill of dirt around each tomato plant.

    We planted three squash seeds in each hill of soil.

    Similarmound, heap

    Note
  3. 6
    noun
    On a vinyl record, the higher part of the wavy groove the needle follows.

Practice

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Origin

From Old English "hyll," meaning hill. It goes back to older Germanic and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning top, hill, or rock.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

  • Hill derives from Old English hyll, meaning hill. en.wiktionary.org
  • The word traces back through Germanic to Proto-Indo-European forms meaning hill, top, or rock. en.wiktionary.org