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.
to gut or clean (fish).
to catch (fish) by the gills in a gill net.
a male given name.
a female given name.
a narrow stream; rivulet
a wooded ravine
(capital when part of place name) a deep natural hole in rock; pothole
Gaping Gill
archaic a girl or sweetheart
Also spelt: jill. dialect a female ferret
an archaic or dialect name for ground ivy
a unit of liquid measure equal to one quarter of a pint
dialect half a pint, esp of beer
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 fishes
any of the radiating leaflike spore-producing structures on the undersurface of the cap of a mushroom
to catch (fish) or (of fish) to be caught in a gill net
(tr) to gut (fish)
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.
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English gile, from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse gjǫlnar, from unattested gelnō; cognate with Swedish gäl, Danish gælle, Norwegian gjelle “gill”
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English gille, from Old French: “vat, tub,” from Late Latin gello, gillo “water pot”
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English gille, from Old Norse gil
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English gil(le) (generic use of Gil(le), short form of Gillian; see Gillian
First recorded in 1830–40; perhaps special use of gill 1
A gill is the body part that helps a fish breathe underwater. In fish and other aquatic creatures, their gills are equivalent to our lungs. Fish and some amphibians need to breathe the oxygen in water to live, and they use their gills for this. Gills are the main organs of respiration for animals that live in or under the water. The root of gill is uncertain, but it may be related to the Old Norse gjölnar, "gills," and rooted in the Proto-Indo-European ghel-una, or "jaw."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
NRW said Samuel deliberately used a large spinning bait with a barbed treble hook, and when the fish was examined by the officer the lure was still lodged deep in its throat and gill rackers.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2024
But by the time the video footage begins, the underdog octopus had already asserted its toughness, blocking off the eel’s eyes and stuffing arms into its mouth and out the gill hole.
From New York Times ● May 17, 2024
Their wiggling catch arrives alive, not smushed as in a purse seine, or ripped and bleeding from a gill net.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 15, 2024
Their segmented bodies have numerous limb pairs that include a walking leg and a gill for respiration.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2023
They all declared contemptuously that his stories about Sugarcandy Mountain were lies, and yet they allowed him to remain on the farm, not working, with an allowance ot a gill of beer a day.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
EU trade spokesman Olof Gill said: "It is our clear understanding and expectation that the US will honor the commitments that are spelled out under the EU-US Joint Statement, whatever tariff regime is constructed."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Reducing the idea to the point of absurdism, Gill asked Hartig if the cartoon character on countless children’s backpacks was “racist.”
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
He and Gill matched England's largely chanceless opening stand, with the series finale only the second ODI to see both sides put on a first-wicket score of over 140.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
England had outclassed the tourists to win the T20 series 4-0, but this was a different India side, boosted by the inclusion of superstars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Shubman Gill.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Brushing shoulders with reporters from the Star, the Times, the Evening Post, the Daily Call, and the Seattle Union-Record, Arthur had covered the trial of Mayor Hiram Gill, accused in a liquor scandal.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
