drill

1 of 6

verb (1)

drilled; drilling; drills

transitive verb

1
a
: to fix something in the mind or habit pattern of by repetitive instruction
drill pupils in spelling
b
: to impart or communicate by repetition
c
: to train or exercise in military drill
2
a(1)
: to bore or drive a hole in
(2)
: to make by piercing action
drill a hole
b
: to shoot with or as if with a gun
c(1)
: to propel (something, such as a ball) with force or accuracy
drilled a single to right field
(2)
: to hit with force
drilled the batter with the first pitch

intransitive verb

1
: to make a hole with a drill
2
: to engage in an exercise
drillability noun
drillable adjective
driller noun

drill

2 of 6

noun (1)

1
: an instrument with an edged or pointed end for making holes in hard substances by revolving or by a succession of blows
also : a machine for operating such an instrument
2
: the act or exercise of training soldiers in marching and in executing prescribed movements with a weapon
3
a
: a physical or mental exercise aimed at perfecting facility and skill especially by regular practice
b
: a formal exercise by a team of marchers
c
: the approved, correct, or usual procedure for accomplishing something : routine
4
a
: a marine snail (Urosalpinx cinerea) destructive to oysters by boring through their shells and feeding on the soft parts
b
: any of several mollusks related to the drill
5
: a drilling sound

drill

3 of 6

noun (2)

: a western African baboon (Mandrillus leucophaeus synonym Papio leucophaeus) having a black face and brown coat and closely related to the mandrill

drill

4 of 6

noun (3)

1
a
: a shallow furrow or trench into which seed is sown
b
: a row of seed sown in such a furrow
2
: a planting implement that makes holes or furrows, drops in the seed and sometimes fertilizer, and covers them with earth

drill

5 of 6

verb (2)

drilled; drilling; drills

transitive verb

1
: to sow (seeds) by dropping along a shallow furrow
2
a
: to sow with seed or set with seedlings inserted in drills
b
: to distribute seed or fertilizer in by means of a drill

drill

6 of 6

noun (4)

: a durable cotton twilled fabric

Examples of drill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Rozier drilled another step-back three over Okoro — this one from the right wing with a side-step incorporated to create more space. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Still, the songs ace the double-duty test, never repeating catchy choruses just to drill holes in our ears but to expand, modify and turn ideas in different directions. Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 When growers and investment companies bought land and drilled wells to pump groundwater in the Central Valley, the expanding nut orchards locked in long-term water demands and added to the strains on the state’s declining aquifers. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Yet the hosts rallied in the second half, equalizing before Sebastian Haller drilled home a winner just 10 minutes from full-time to secure a third AFCON crown for Les Éléphants and break Nigerian hearts. Callum Sutherland, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Throughout the day Saturday, battles raged on behind the library, cannon fire echoed across the park, orders were barked as troops drilled. Heather McRea, Orange County Register, 2 Mar. 2024 Southern Empire Resources, a Canadian mining company known in the area as SMP Gold Corp., obtained approval from the BLM to drill 65 exploratory holes in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains south of Indian Pass Road about 30 miles northeast of Yuma in Imperial County, California. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024 Thompson put the Warriors ahead as the possessions dwindled, but DeRozan’s drilled an and-1 jumper with 26 seconds and Podziemski’s missed his point-blank layup. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 This may sound obvious, but Ferrari found that many of the contractors who came to service the ADU wanted to drill through it, for instance to bring in WiFi and electrical lines. Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
The mock drill led to several recommendations, including that governments and the private sector find ways to fight misinformation before the next pandemic. Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 More Ed News:Some school districts bet on AI as future of security while others raise doubts The bill also says schools should provide onsite mental health services after the drill and provide prior notice to parents about when the drill will happen. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 Using simulated gunfire in the drills also would be prohibited. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 At spring practice, Williams can frequently be seen standing off to the side while other defensive tackles go through drills. Kortay Vincent, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The drill will be postponed for a day with better weather if there is a severe weather threat, service officials said. The Courier-Journal, 6 Mar. 2024 North Korea South Korea and the US have begun their annual Freedom Shield joint military drills to bolster readiness against North Korea. Aj Willingham, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Again, tapping into our capabilities to understand the subsurface drill, extract liquids, in this case water, extract lithium from the water and reinject that water. Fortune Editors, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 The app currently has two English Premier League (EPL) partners, Chelsea and Burnley, and clubs can tailor their in-app trials to meet specific needs and set their own benchmarks by having their academy players complete the same drills. Bryan Mena, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Dutch drillen

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Noun (3)

perhaps from drill small stream, from obsolete drill to trickle, drip

Noun (4)

short for drilling

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1619, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1644, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

circa 1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

1743, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drill was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near drill

Cite this Entry

“Drill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drill. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

drill

1 of 5 noun
1
: a tool for making holes in hard substances
2
: the training of soldiers in military skill and discipline
3
: a physical or mental exercise regularly practiced
4
: a marine snail that bores through oyster shells and feeds on the soft parts

drill

2 of 5 verb
1
: to instruct or train by repetition
drill a child in multiplication
drill troops
2
: to bore or make a hole in with or as if with a drill
drill a tooth
drill a hole
driller noun

drill

3 of 5 noun
1
: a shallow furrow or trench into which seed is sown
2
: a planting machine that makes holes or furrows, drops in seed, and covers it with earth

drill

4 of 5 verb
: to sow with or as if with a drill

drill

5 of 5 noun
: a strong cotton fabric in twill weave
Etymology

Noun

probably from Dutch dril "a tool for drilling holes," derived from early Dutch drillen (verb) "to drill"

Noun

perhaps from earlier drill "a trickling stream"

Noun

shortened from drilling "heavy cotton fabric," from German Drillich (same meaning)

Medical Definition

drill

1 of 2 transitive verb
: to make a hole in with a drill
the dentist drilled the tooth for a filling

intransitive verb

: to make a hole with a drill
painless dental drilling

drill

2 of 2 noun
: an instrument with an edged or pointed end for making holes in hard substances (as bones or teeth) by revolving

More from Merriam-Webster on drill

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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