gill¹

[gil]

See more synonyms for gill on Thesaurus.com

noun

the respiratory organ of aquatic animals, as fish, that breathe oxygen dissolved in water.
Also called lamella. one of the radiating vertical plates on the underside of the cap of an agaric mushroom.
ground ivy.

verb (used with object)

to gut or clean (fish).

Idioms

to catch (fish) by the gills in a gill net.
green/white around the gills, somewhat pale, as from being sickly, nervous, or frightened: When he heard how much the bill was, he looked a little green around the gills.
to the gills, Informal. fully; completely; totally: After that big meal we were all stuffed to the gills.

Origin of gill¹

1300–50; Middle English gile < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse gjǫlnar < *gelnō; cognate with Swed gäl, Danish gælle, Norwegian gjelle gill

Related formsgill-less, adjectivegill-like, adjective

gill²

[jil]

noun

a unit of liquid measure equal to ¼ pint (118.2937 ml).

Origin of gill²

1225–75; Middle English gille < Old French: vat, tub < Late Latin gello, gillo water pot

gill³

[gil]

noun British.

a deep rocky cleft or wooded ravine forming the course of a stream.
a stream; brook; rivulet.

Origin of gill³

1350–1400; Middle English gille < Old Norse gil

gill⁴

[jil]

noun

a girl or young woman; sweetheart.

Origin of gill⁴

1400–50; late Middle English gil(le) generic use of Gil(le), short form of Gillian; see Gillian

gill⁵

[gil]Textiles.

noun

a faller used in the combing process, generally for only the highest-quality fibers.

verb (used with object)

to comb (fibers) with a gill.

Origin of gill⁵

First recorded in 1830–40; perhaps special use of gill¹

Gill

[gil for 1; jil for 2]

noun

a male given name.
a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for gill

Contemporary Examples

“She was hot-headed, had her own way of doing things,” Gill said—and so, he left to form a separate militia group.
Open-Carry Militia Mom ‘Murders’ Family
Brandy Zadrozny
December 16, 2014
“I feel sorry for what she did to Russ and his daughter,” Gill said.
Open-Carry Militia Mom ‘Murders’ Family
Brandy Zadrozny
December 16, 2014
A week later Gill, 32, was taking a break in the Lake District, a picturesque sweep of mountains outside Manchester.
How to Hustle Your Way to the Oscars
Nico Hines
February 15, 2014
Forget Los Angeles, Gill and Li currently have no plans to move to London where rent is so much more expensive than in Manchester.
How to Hustle Your Way to the Oscars
Nico Hines
February 15, 2014
Getting to the ceremony proved another huge challenge for Gill.
How to Hustle Your Way to the Oscars
Nico Hines
February 15, 2014

Historical Examples

Mr. Gill had the house for eight years, and was the last landlord.
The Bay State Monthly, Vol. 1, Issue 1.
Various
Was it the backwater of my disgrace, I wonder, that has overwhelmed poor Gill?'
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever
The injury was too grave: Gill's life, as the doctor's certificate will prove, was in danger.
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever
Had she really leased the Barn to this man Gill: and if so, for what term?
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever
Boil half-a-pound of lump sugar in a gill of water until melted.
Nelson's Home Comforts
Mary Hooper

British Dictionary definitions for gill

gill¹

noun

the respiratory organ in many aquatic animals, consisting of a membrane or outgrowth well supplied with blood vessels. External gills occur in tadpoles, some molluscs, etc; internal gills, within gill slits, occur in most fishesRelated adjective: branchial
any of the radiating leaflike spore-producing structures on the undersurface of the cap of a mushroom

verb

to catch (fish) or (of fish) to be caught in a gill net
(tr) to gut (fish)

Word Origin

C14: of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish gäl, Danish gjælle, Greek khelunē lip

gill²

noun

a unit of liquid measure equal to one quarter of a pint
Northern English dialect half a pint, esp of beer

Word Origin

C14: from Old French gille vat, tub, from Late Latin gillō cooling vessel for liquids, of obscure origin

gill³

ghyll

noun dialect

a narrow stream; rivulet
a wooded ravine
(capital when part of place name) a deep natural hole in rock; potholeGaping Gill

Word Origin

C11: from Old Norse gil steep-sided valley

gill⁴

noun

archaic a girl or sweetheart
dialect a female ferretAlso spelt: jill
an archaic or dialect name for ground ivy

Word Origin

C15: special use of Gill, short for Gillian, girl's name

Gill

noun

(Arthur) Eric (Rowton). 1882–1940, British sculptor, engraver, and typographer: his sculptures include the Stations of the Cross in Westminster Cathedral, London

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gill

n.1

"organ of breathing in fishes," early 14c., of unknown origin, perhaps from a Scandinavian source, e.g. Old Norse giolnar which perhaps means "gills;" Old Danish -gæln (in fiske-gæln "fish gill"). Related: Gills.

n.2

liquid measure (commonly a half-pint), late 13c., from Old French gille, a wine measure, and directly from Medieval Latin gillo "earthenware jar," of uncertain origin.

Gill

fem. proper name, see Jill.

gill in Science

gill

[gĭl]

The organ that enables most aquatic animals to take dissolved oxygen from the water. It consists of a series of membranes that have many small blood vessels. Oxygen passes into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide passes out of it as water flows across the membranes.
One of the thin strips of tissue on the underside of the cap of many species of basidiomycete fungi. Gills produce the spore-bearing structures known as basidia.

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gill2

Origin of gill2

gill3

Origin of gill3

gill4

Origin of gill4

gill5

Origin of gill5

Gill

Examples from the Web for gill

Contemporary Examples

“She was hot-headed, had her own way of doing things,” Gill said—and so, he left to form a separate militia group.

“I feel sorry for what she did to Russ and his daughter,” Gill said.

A week later Gill, 32, was taking a break in the Lake District, a picturesque sweep of mountains outside Manchester.

Forget Los Angeles, Gill and Li currently have no plans to move to London where rent is so much more expensive than in Manchester.

Getting to the ceremony proved another huge challenge for Gill.

Historical Examples

Mr. Gill had the house for eight years, and was the last landlord.

Was it the backwater of my disgrace, I wonder, that has overwhelmed poor Gill?'

The injury was too grave: Gill's life, as the doctor's certificate will prove, was in danger.

Had she really leased the Barn to this man Gill: and if so, for what term?

Boil half-a-pound of lump sugar in a gill of water until melted.

gill1

Word Origin

gill2

Word Origin

gill3

ghyll

Word Origin

gill4

Word Origin

Gill

Word Origin and History for gill

n.1

n.2

Gill

gill

gill¹

Origin of gill¹

gill²

Origin of gill²

gill³

Origin of gill³

gill⁴

Origin of gill⁴

gill⁵

Origin of gill⁵

gill¹

gill²

gill³

gill⁴