Showing results for "milling"

• present participle of mill.

milling

American  

[mil-ing] / ˈmɪl ɪŋ /

noun

millings plural

1. an act or instance of subjecting something to the operation of a mill.

2. an act or process of producing plane or shaped surfaces with a milling machine.

3. Coining.

   1. an act or process of making a raised edge on a coin or the like.

   2. an act or process of making narrow, radial grooves on such a raised edge.

   3. a number of grooves so made.

4. Slang. a beating or thrashing.

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milling British  

/ ˈmɪlɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of grinding, cutting, pressing, or crushing in a mill

2. the vertical grooves or fluting on the edge of a coin, etc

3. (in W North America) a method of halting a stampede of cattle by turning the leaders in a wide arc until the herd turns in upon itself in a tightening spiral

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• millings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of milling

1425–75; late Middle English. See mill ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

In addition to the extra security guards milling about, many of the areas that were formerly open to the public were closed off by fences and guarded exits.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

Shortly after opening time on a recent morning, the Kettering store already had a number of middle-aged customers milling about the space leafing through magazines—yes, it has those—or asking for advice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Reto and Sandy Meroni, who have lived just outside the Swiss ski resort for years, stopped to take pictures while walking their dog among hundreds of World Economic Forum attendees milling outside.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

People were anxiously milling about, some crying and in shock.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

People are milling already, and I spot our regular non-Muslims, Cassie, Darren, and Julie, among them.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali