drill
1Machinery, Building Trades.
a shaftlike tool with two or more cutting edges for making holes in firm materials, especially by rotation.
a tool, especially a hand tool, for holding and operating such a tool.
Military.
training in formal marching or other precise military or naval movements.
an exercise in such training: gun drill.
any strict, methodical, repetitive, or mechanical training, instruction, or exercise: a spelling drill.
the correct or customary manner of proceeding.
Also called snail bore [sneyl-bawr] /ˈsneɪl ˌbɔr/ . a gastropod, Urosalpinx cinera, that bores holes in shellfish, as oysters.
to pierce or bore a hole in (something).
to make (a hole) by boring.
Military. to instruct and exercise (military trainees) in formation marching and movement, in the carrying of arms during formal marching, and in the formal handling of arms for ceremonies and guard duty.
to impart (knowledge) by strict training, discipline, or repetition.
to train or rehearse (a person or group) in a subject, discipline, etc., by guided repetition, quizzing, and other techniques.
to pierce or bore something with or as with a drill.
to penetrate deeply beneath the ground or the seafloor with specialized machinery to search for deposits or reservoirs of a natural substance: to drill for oil.
to go through exercise in military or other training.
drill down,
Computers. to move through a hierarchical system in order to view data at a lower level, as to find a specific file or database record.
to access and examine something more thoroughly or in more detail:Now that you have the big picture, let’s drill down to some technical facts and statistics.
Origin of drill
1synonym study For drill
Other words from drill
- drill·a·ble, adjective
- drill·a·bil·i·ty [dril-uh-bil-i-tee], /ˌdrɪl əˈbɪl ɪ ti/, noun
- drill·er, noun
- un·drill·a·ble, adjective
Words Nearby drill
Other definitions for drill (2 of 4)
a small furrow made in the soil in which to sow seeds.
a row of seeds or plants thus sown.
a machine for sowing in rows and for covering the seeds when sown.
to sow (seed) in drills.
to sow or plant (soil, a plot of ground, etc.) in drills.
to sow seed in drills.
Origin of drill
2Other words from drill
- driller, noun
Other definitions for drill (3 of 4)
a strong, twilled cotton fabric.
Origin of drill
3Other definitions for drill (4 of 4)
a large, baboonlike monkey, Mandrillus leucophaeus, of western Africa, similar to the related mandrill but smaller and less brightly colored: now endangered.
Origin of drill
4Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use drill in a sentence
The link is about as thick as the human skull, and Musk said it could plop neatly onto the surface of the brain through a drill hole that could then be sealed with superglue.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink is neuroscience theater | David Rotman | August 30, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewCollen gave Laney the green light after seeing her dominate early shooting drills in practice.
These 3 Breakout Stars Are Making The Most Of The WNBA Bubble | Howard Megdal | August 14, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightDuring several trips to Greenland, he and NASA researchers tested a drill that can cut through hundreds of feet of ice, measuring organic matter and other “biosignatures” as it goes down.
He Found ‘Islands of Fertility’ Beneath Antarctica’s Ice | Steve Nadis | July 20, 2020 | Quanta MagazineIn 2017 and 2019, we went to the Greenland ice sheet to test a drill you could take to Europa.
He Found ‘Islands of Fertility’ Beneath Antarctica’s Ice | Steve Nadis | July 20, 2020 | Quanta MagazineCoaches can create drills to help players focus on those shots.
Why sports are becoming all about numbers — lots and lots of numbers | Silke Schmidt | May 21, 2020 | Science News For Students
Prince may have pranced around like a carefree libertine onstage, but in rehearsal he was more drill sergeant than sprite.
Speed Read: The Juiciest Bits From the History of ‘Purple Rain’ | Jennie Yabroff | January 1, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAs I forced my exhausted body to exercise, I yelled at my legs like a drill sergeant, demanding five more minutes or one more set.
For example, studies cited in the report have shown a higher incidence of birth defects for people living near drill sites.
In place of horses, underclassmen would pull the field pieces around the drill ground.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor | S. C. Gwynne | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd as it turns out, those adorable pink drill bits are potentially facilitating the addition of carcinogens into the environment.
The Misogynistic Companies Jumping On The Breast Cancer Bandwagon | Emily Shire | October 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHis drill-like nose, his powerful fore-legs and big, strong feet all served to make him the fastest digger in Pleasant Valley.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyA minikin three-and-a-half-feet Colonel, being one day at the drill, was examining a strapper of six feet four.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousShe rode the drill every day, like any soldier; and she could take the bugle and direct the evolutions herself.
A Horse's Tale | Mark TwainThey were learning how to drill, how to fire, how to dig ditches and build impromptu forts in haste.
Ways of War and Peace | Delia AustrianIt was explained that great difficulty frequently exists in getting firemen to take part in a boat drill.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic' | British Government
British Dictionary definitions for drill (1 of 4)
/ (drɪl) /
a rotating tool that is inserted into a drilling machine or tool for boring cylindrical holes
a hand tool, either manually or electrically operated, for drilling holes
military
training in procedures or movements, as for ceremonial parades or the use of weapons
(as modifier): drill hall
strict and often repetitious training or exercises used as a method of teaching
informal correct procedure or routine
a marine gastropod mollusc, Urosalpinx cinera, closely related to the whelk, that preys on oysters
to pierce, bore, or cut (a hole) in (material) with or as if with a drill: to drill a hole; to drill metal
to instruct or be instructed in military procedures or movements
(tr) to teach by rigorous exercises or training
(tr) informal to hit (a ball) in a straight line at great speed
(tr) informal to riddle with bullets
Origin of drill
1- See also drill down
Derived forms of drill
- drillable, adjective
- driller, noun
British Dictionary definitions for drill (2 of 4)
/ (drɪl) /
a machine for planting seeds in rows or depositing fertilizer
a small furrow in which seeds are sown
a row of seeds planted using a drill
to plant (seeds) by means of a drill
Origin of drill
2Derived forms of drill
- driller, noun
British Dictionary definitions for drill (3 of 4)
drilling
/ (drɪl) /
a hard-wearing twill-weave cotton cloth, used for uniforms, etc
Origin of drill
3British Dictionary definitions for drill (4 of 4)
/ (drɪl) /
an Old World monkey, Mandrillus leucophaeus, of W Africa, related to the mandrill but smaller and less brightly coloured
Origin of drill
4Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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