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.
The mission nearly failed near the end when a fracture appeared at the summit drilling site.
From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026
The change of control took longer than expected, Clear Street analyst Tim Moore said, but it remains a crucial step toward getting final approval from the Greenland government to start drilling.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
“The Pentagon not using venture-backed technology companies for defense,” he writes, “is like Saudi Arabia not drilling for oil.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
The chancellor also said she would be announcing changes to energy policy in the coming days, including over drilling in the North Sea and reforming the link between gas and electricity prices.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 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.
