drilling
1 Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of drilling1
First recorded in 1615–25; drill 1 + -ing 1
Origin of drilling2
1630–40; alteration of German Drillich, itself alteration of Latin trilīx triple-twilled ( German dri- three- replacing Latin tri- )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A report from Earthjustice estimates that expanded oil drilling in California could threaten five marine species including humpback whales, sea otters, leatherback sea turtles, marbled murrelets and wild salmon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
Noise and sawdust filled the room as dozens of students tried their hand at drilling through bricks and wood.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Guinness World Records recognized the expedition as the deepest scientific ocean drilling project ever completed.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
Quinones scored the first goal of the World Cup, drilling the ball through South Africa keeper Ronwen Williams' legs just nine minutes into the tournament.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
After some drilling and bolting, I got the brackets attached to it and then mounted it back on the rover.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
