milling

[mil-ing]

noun

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.

milling

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of milling¹

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

Example Sentences

The men and women shown milling about and idly gazing — which we are now doing in the museum — become projections of us.

From Los Angeles Times

"The trouble is, we don't know what the rules of the game are going to be, so we're all milling around, just waiting to find out how to play the new game."

From BBC

The majority of National Guard members were left largely milling about the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos in an operation that the Pentagon had estimated would cost about $134 million.

From Los Angeles Times

On a recent morning, National Guards troops — some dressed in full combat fatigues, others in T-shirts and shorts — could be seen exercising, milling about and playing a game of touch football.

From Los Angeles Times

A large crowd milling on a warm summer's evening swayed to the strains of much-loved patriotic songs in an open air concert of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra.

From BBC