a shaftlike tool with two or more cutting edges for making holes in firm materials, especially by rotation.
a tool, especially a hand tool, for holding and operating such a tool.
Military.
training in formal marching or other precise military or naval movements.
an exercise in such training: gun drill.
any strict, methodical, repetitive, or mechanical training, instruction, or exercise: a spelling drill.
the correct or customary manner of proceeding.
Also called snail bore[sneyl-bawr] /ˈsneɪl ˌbɔr/ . a gastropod, Urosalpinx cinera, that bores holes in shellfish, as oysters.
verb (used with object)
to pierce or bore a hole in (something).
to make (a hole) by boring.
Military. to instruct and exercise (military trainees) in formation marching and movement, in the carrying of arms during formal marching, and in the formal handling of arms for ceremonies and guard duty.
to impart (knowledge) by strict training, discipline, or repetition.
to train or rehearse (a person or group) in a subject, discipline, etc., by guided repetition, quizzing, and other techniques.
verb (used without object)
to pierce or bore something with or as with a drill.
to penetrate deeply beneath the ground or the sea floor with specialized machinery to search for deposits or reservoirs of a natural substance: to drill for oil.
to go through exercise in military or other training.
Verb Phrases
drill down,
Computers.to move through a hierarchical system in order to view data at a lower level, as to find a specific file or database record.
to access and examine something more thoroughly or in more detail:Now that you have the big picture, let’s drill down to some technical facts and statistics.
Origin of drill
1
First recorded in 1605–15; from Dutch dril (noun), drillen (verb)
a small furrow made in the soil in which to sow seeds.
a row of seeds or plants thus sown.
a machine for sowing in rows and for covering the seeds when sown.
verb (used with object)
to sow (seed) in drills.
to sow or plant (soil, a plot of ground, etc.) in drills.
verb (used without object)
to sow seed in drills.
Origin of drill
2
First recorded in 1720–30; compare drill “rill,” German Rille “furrow,” rillen “to groove”
OTHER WORDS FROM drill
driller,noun
Definition for drill (3 of 4)
drill3
[ dril ]
/ drɪl /
noun
a strong, twilled cotton fabric.
Origin of drill
3
First recorded in 1735–45; short for drilling2
Definition for drill (4 of 4)
drill4
[ dril ]
/ drɪl /
noun
a large, baboonlike monkey, Mandrillus leucophaeus, of western Africa, similar to the related mandrill but smaller and less brightly colored: now endangered.
Origin of drill
4
First recorded in 1635–45; of obscure origin; cf. mandrill
The link is about as thick as the human skull, and Musk said it could plop neatly onto the surface of the brain through a drill hole that could then be sealed with superglue.
Collen gave Laney the green light after seeing her dominate early shooting drills in practice.
These 3 Breakout Stars Are Making The Most Of The WNBA Bubble|Howard Megdal|August 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
During several trips to Greenland, he and NASA researchers tested a drill that can cut through hundreds of feet of ice, measuring organic matter and other “biosignatures” as it goes down.
He Found ‘Islands of Fertility’ Beneath Antarctica’s Ice|Steve Nadis|July 20, 2020|Quanta Magazine
In 2017 and 2019, we went to the Greenland ice sheet to test a drill you could take to Europa.
He Found ‘Islands of Fertility’ Beneath Antarctica’s Ice|Steve Nadis|July 20, 2020|Quanta Magazine
They might also suggest which practice drills or recovery routines will help players perform best at the next matchup.
Why sports are becoming all about numbers — lots and lots of numbers|Silke Schmidt|May 21, 2020|Science News For Students
As I forced my exhausted body to exercise, I yelled at my legs like a drill sergeant, demanding five more minutes or one more set.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In place of horses, underclassmen would pull the field pieces around the drill ground.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor|S. C. Gwynne|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, here comes another presidential election, and we know the drill.
Our Lame Cult of the Presidency|James Poulos|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their knees and elbows have punctures from a 10mm drill bit.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The data is collected by month, but by clicking on a month, you can drill down a step further into the day-by-day activity.
The Best Quantified Self Site You Haven’t Heard Of|Jamie Todd Rubin|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The most perfect arrangement can be obtained by getting a watchmaker to drill a fine hole through a piece of sheet metal.
Photographic Amusements, Ninth Edition|Walter E. Woodbury and Frank R. Fraprie
Fig. 1776 represents a drill for stone work, whose edge is made curved to steady it.
Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II|Joshua Rose
So with a rifle I blundered through the drill, my mistakes causing much merriment.
A "Y Girl in France|Katherine Shortall
One morning, at drill-call, the men in my own company marched out and stacked their arms, refusing to drill.
Thirteen Months in the Rebel Army|William G. Stevenson
During the weeks which the French spent in Orleans I never once saw their soldiers at drill.
With an Ambulance During the Franco-German War|Charles Edward Ryan
British Dictionary definitions for drill (1 of 4)
drill1
/ (drɪl) /
noun
a rotating tool that is inserted into a drilling machine or tool for boring cylindrical holes
a hand tool, either manually or electrically operated, for drilling holes
military
training in procedures or movements, as for ceremonial parades or the use of weapons
(as modifier)drill hall
strict and often repetitious training or exercises used as a method of teaching
informalcorrect procedure or routine
a marine gastropod mollusc, Urosalpinx cinera, closely related to the whelk, that preys on oysters
verb
to pierce, bore, or cut (a hole) in (material) with or as if with a drillto drill a hole; to drill metal
to instruct or be instructed in military procedures or movements
(tr)to teach by rigorous exercises or training
(tr)informalto hit (a ball) in a straight line at great speed
(tr)informalto riddle with bullets
See also drill down
Derived forms of drill
drillable, adjectivedriller, noun
Word Origin for drill
C17: from Middle Dutch drillen; related to Old High German drāen to turn
British Dictionary definitions for drill (2 of 4)
drill2
/ (drɪl) /
noun
a machine for planting seeds in rows or depositing fertilizer
a small furrow in which seeds are sown
a row of seeds planted using a drill
verb
to plant (seeds) by means of a drill
Derived forms of drill
driller, noun
Word Origin for drill
C18: of uncertain origin; compare German Rille furrow
British Dictionary definitions for drill (3 of 4)
drill3
drilling
/ (drɪl) /
noun
a hard-wearing twill-weave cotton cloth, used for uniforms, etc
Word Origin for drill
C18: variant of German Drillich, from Latin trilīx, from tri- + līcium thread
British Dictionary definitions for drill (4 of 4)
drill4
/ (drɪl) /
noun
an Old World monkey, Mandrillus leucophaeus, of W Africa, related to the mandrill but smaller and less brightly coloured