gill.
A breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals.
Meaning & usage
A breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals.
A gill slit or gill cover.
Gill nets are designed to catch a fish by the gills.
One of the radial folds on the underside of the cap of a mushroom, the surface of which bears the spore-producing organs.
The fleshy flap that hangs below the beak of a fowl; a wattle.
The flesh under or about the chin; a wattle.
One of the combs of closely ranged steel pins which divide the ribbons of flax fiber or wool into fewer parallel filaments.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English gille, gylle (“gill”), of North Germanic origin, akin to Danish gælle, Swedish gäl, Norwegian gjelle, and further to Old Norse gjǫlnar (“lips”), which also may have had the meaning of "gills" (based on Old Danish fiskegæln (“gills”)). The Old Norse word has been suggested as deriving from Proto-Germanic *gelunō (“jaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel-, which would make it root-cognate to Ancient Greek χελύνη (khelúnē, “lip, jaw”), χεῖλος (kheîlos, “lip”). Displaced native Old English ċīe.
To remove the gills from a fish as part of gutting and cleaning it.
To catch (a fish) in a gillnet.
To be or become entangled in a gillnet.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English gille, gylle (“gill”), of North Germanic origin, akin to Danish gælle, Swedish gäl, Norwegian gjelle, and further to Old Norse gjǫlnar (“lips”), which also may have had the meaning of "gills" (based on Old Danish fiskegæln (“gills”)). The Old Norse word has been suggested as deriving from Proto-Germanic *gelunō (“jaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel-, which would make it root-cognate to Ancient Greek χελύνη (khelúnē, “lip, jaw”), χεῖλος (kheîlos, “lip”). Displaced native Old English ċīe.
Any of several units of volume, most of which are a quarter of a pint or near to that amount. A drink measure for spirits and wine, a quarter of an imperial pint or near to that amount, but varying regionally.
Any of several units of volume, most of which are a quarter of a pint or near to that amount. A unit of measure equal to 4 US fluid ounces (half a cup, a quarter of a US pint), approximately 118 milliliters.
A measuring jug holding a quarter or half a pint.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English gille, from Old French gille (“a wine measure”), from Medieval Latin gillo (“earthenware jar”).
A rivulet, small stream.
A ravine.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English gille, from Old Norse gil.
A two-wheeled frame for transporting timber.
Where this word comes from
Uncertain.
Alternative form of jill (“a female ferret”).
A promiscuous woman; harlot, wanton.
A prostitute.
gill-over-the-ground: ground ivy.
gill-ale: an ale made with ground ivy among its ingredients.
Where this word comes from
Clipping of gillian, from the female name Gillian.
To act as a prostitute.
Where this word comes from
Clipping of gillian, from the female name Gillian.
Try it on your idea.
gill has 4 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.
These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.
Explore the name generatorA word with a source.
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.