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 gill
1
1300–50;Middle Englishgile < Scandinavian; compare Old Norsegjǫlnar < *gelnō; cognate with Swed gäl,Danishgælle,Norwegiangjelle gill
Related formsgill-less, adjectivegill-like, adjective
gill
2
[jil]
noun
a unit of liquid measure equal to ¼ pint (118.2937 ml).
Origin of gill
2
1225–75;Middle Englishgille < Old French: vat, tub < Late Latingello, gillo water pot
gill
3
[gil]
nounBritish.
a deep rocky cleft or wooded ravine forming the course of a stream.
a stream; brook; rivulet.
Origin of gill
3
1350–1400;Middle Englishgille < Old Norsegil
gill
4
[jil]
noun
a girl or young woman; sweetheart.
Origin of gill
4
1400–50;late Middle Englishgil(le) generic use of Gil(le), short form of Gillian; see Gillian
gill
5
[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 gill
5
First recorded in 1830–40; perhaps special use of gill1
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
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
"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.
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.
