drill.
To create (a hole) by removing material with a drill (tool).
Meaning & usage
To create (a hole) by removing material with a drill (tool).
Drill a small hole to start the screw in the right direction.
To practice, especially in (or as in) a military context.
They drilled daily to learn the routine exactly.
To cause to drill (practice); to train, especially in military arts.
The sergeant was up by 6:00 every morning, drilling his troops.
To repeat an idea frequently in order to encourage someone to remember it.
The instructor drilled into us the importance of reading the instructions.
To investigate or examine something in more detail or at a different level
Drill deeper and you may find the underlying assumptions faulty.
To throw, run, hit or kick with a lot of power.
He drilled down the court and made a three-pointer.
He drilled the ball to his teammate.
To hit someone with a pitch, especially in an intentional context.
To have sexual intercourse with; to penetrate.
To shoot; to kill by shooting.
Where this word comes from
From Middle Dutch drillen (“bore, move in a circle”).
A tool or machine used to remove material so as to create a hole, typically by plunging a rotating cutting bit into a stationary workpiece.
Wear safety glasses when operating an electric drill.
The portion of a drilling tool that drives the bit.
Use a drill with a wire brush to remove any rust or buildup.
An activity done as an exercise or practice (especially a military exercise), particularly in preparation for some possible future event or occurrence.
fire drill
disaster drill
A short and highly repeatable sports training exercise designed to hone a particular skill that may be useful in competition.
At today's practice, the football team performed a variety of goalkeeping drills.
Any of several molluscs, of the genus Urosalpinx and others, especially the oyster drill (Urosalpinx cinerea), that make holes in the shells of their prey.
A style of trap music with gritty, violent lyrics, originating on the South Side of Chicago.
A single performance of drill music.
Where this word comes from
From Middle Dutch drillen (“bore, move in a circle”).
An agricultural implement for making holes for sowing seed, and sometimes so formed as to contain seeds and drop them into the hole made.
A light furrow or channel made to put seed into, when sowing.
A row of seed sown in a furrow.
Where this word comes from
Perhaps the same as Etymology 3; compare German Rille which can also mean "small furrow".
To sow (seeds) by dribbling them along a furrow or in a row.
Where this word comes from
Perhaps the same as Etymology 3; compare German Rille which can also mean "small furrow".
A small trickling stream; a rill.
Where this word comes from
Uncertain. Compare the same sense of trill, and German trillen, drillen. Attestation predates Etymology 1.
To cause to flow in drills or rills or by trickling; to drain by trickling.
waters drilled through a sandy stratum
Where this word comes from
Uncertain. Compare the same sense of trill, and German trillen, drillen. Attestation predates Etymology 1.
To protract, lengthen out; fritter away, spend (time) aimlessly.
Quit purposely drilling out the time hoping that someone else will do your chores.
To entice or allure; to decoy; with on.
To cause to slip or waste away by degrees.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English drillen (“to delay, defer, put off”), of origin unknown.
An Old World monkey of West Africa, Mandrillus leucophaeus, similar in appearance to the mandrill, but lacking the colorful face.
Where this word comes from
] Source unknown. Probably of African origin; compare mandrill.
A strong, durable cotton fabric with a strong bias (diagonal) in the weave.
Where this word comes from
From German Drillich (“denim, canvas, drill”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.