definitions

gill

1
[ gil ]
/ gɪl /
||
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).

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RELATED WORDS

box, entrance, door, cavity, rim, gate, run, demeanor, visage, mien, orifice, funnel, clam, inlet, estuary, kisser, yap, gob, crevice, harbor

Nearby words

gilgai, gilgal, gilgamesh, gilgul, gilguy, gill, gill arch, gill bar, gill book, gill box, gill cleft

Idioms

Origin of gill

1
1300–50; Middle English gile < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse gjǫlnar < *gelnō; cognate with Swed gäl, Danish gælle, Norwegian gjelle gill

Related forms

gill-less, adjectivegill-like, adjective

Definition for gill (2 of 6)

gill

2
[ jil ]
/ dʒɪl /

noun

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

Origin of gill

2
1225–75; Middle English gille < Old French: vat, tub < Late Latin gello, gillo water pot

Definition for gill (3 of 6)

gill

3
[ gil ]
/ gɪl /

noun British.

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

Origin of gill

3
1350–1400; Middle English gille < Old Norse gil

Definition for gill (4 of 6)

gill

4
[ jil ]
/ dʒɪl /

noun

a girl or young woman; sweetheart.

Origin of gill

4
1400–50; late Middle English gil(le) generic use of Gil(le), short form of Gillian; see Gillian

Definition for gill (5 of 6)

gill

5
[ gil ]
/ gɪl /
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

Definition for gill (6 of 6)

Gill

[ gil for 1; jil for 2 ]
/ gɪl for 1; dʒɪl for 2 /

noun

a male given name.
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gill

British Dictionary definitions for gill (1 of 5)

gill

1
/ (ɡɪl) /

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)
See also gills

Derived Forms

gilled, adjectivegill-less, adjectivegill-like, adjective

Word Origin for gill

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

British Dictionary definitions for gill (2 of 5)

gill

2
/ (dʒɪl) /

noun

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

Word Origin for gill

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

British Dictionary definitions for gill (3 of 5)

gill

3

ghyll

/ (ɡɪl) /

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 for gill

C11: from Old Norse gil steep-sided valley

British Dictionary definitions for gill (4 of 5)

gill

4
/ (dʒɪl) /

noun

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

Word Origin for gill

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

British Dictionary definitions for gill (5 of 5)

Gill

/ (ɡɪl) /

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

Science definitions for gill

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.