gimlet

[ gim-lit ]

noun

1. a small tool for boring holes, consisting of a shaft with a pointed screw at one end and a handle perpendicular to the shaft at the other.
2. a cocktail made with gin or vodka, sweetened lime juice, and sometimes soda water.

verb (used with object)

1. to pierce with or as if with a gimlet.
2. Also gim·blet [] Nautical. to rotate (a suspended anchor) to a desired position.

adjective

1. able to penetrate or bore through.

gimlet

/ ˈɡɪmlɪt /

noun

1. a small hand tool consisting of a pointed spiral tip attached at right angles to a handle, used for boring small holes in wood
2. a cocktail consisting of half gin or vodka and half lime juice
3. a eucalyptus of W Australia having a twisted bole

verb

1. tr to make holes in (wood) using a gimlet

adjective

1. penetrating; piercing (esp in the phrase gimlet-eyed )

Other Words From

• gimlet·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gimlet¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Old French guimbelet < Germanic; compare Middle Dutch wimmel wimble

Word History and Origins

Origin of gimlet¹

C15: from Old French guimbelet, of Germanic origin, see wimble

Example Sentences

Murdoch was known to personally track all of the editorial budgets with a gimlet eye.

From The Daily Beast

There are reasons, in other words, for hard-shell conservatives to give him the gimlet eye.

From The Daily Beast

What the baron recoils from in horror, others discern with a gimlet eye to the main social chance.

From The Daily Beast

However, with the gimlet eyes of a new blogger, I detect ominous portents of change.

From The Daily Beast

Gorenflot went off quite happy, and then Chicot made, with a gimlet, a hole in the partition at about the height of his eye.

From Project Gutenberg

To broach a pipe, pierce it with an auger or gimlet, four fingers- breadth over the lower rim, so that the dregs may not rise.

From Project Gutenberg

He stood, shivering, with gimlet flames in his eyes, his fingers twitching restlessly.

From Project Gutenberg

Tom had broken his gimlet and three extra ones which fortunately some one had brought.

From Project Gutenberg

I will not have thee strike thy gimlet into these weak vessels; prick thine enemies, Ralph.

From Project Gutenberg