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drilling

1 American  
[dril-ing] / ˈdrɪl ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that drills.

drilling 2 American  
[dril-ing] / ˈdrɪl ɪŋ /

noun

  1. drill.

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.

Oil prices at today’s levels are actually high enough to provoke another drilling boom, according to data from the Dallas Fed.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

Today is shaping up to be a rough one for energy stocks, but less so for the shares of companies that service oil drilling.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

That includes federal permits for development, mining, drilling or logging.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

Brain-computer interfaces exist today, but many of them rely on drilling a hole in the skull and implanting a physical interface to allow the brain to communicate with external devices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

“I could show you where I work. One of the drilling rigs,” he ventured.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

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.