drill
1 of 6verb (1)
ˈdril 
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
ˌdri-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun drillable
ˈdri-lə-bəl
adjective driller
ˈdri-lər
noun drill
2 of 6noun (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 6noun (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 6noun (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 6verb (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 6noun (4)
: a durable cotton twilled fabric
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- bore
- hole
- perforate
- pierce
- punch
- puncture
- riddle
Noun (1)
- grind
- groove
- lockstep
- pattern
- rote
- routine
- rut
- treadmill
Verb (2)
- plant
- put in
- seed
- sow
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
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
Phrases Containing drill
Kids Definition
drill 1 of 4
verb
ˈdril
drilled; drilling
1
: to make holes in with a drill
2
: to teach by repeating a lesson or exercise again and again
drill
2 of 4noun
1
: a tool for making holes in hard substances
2
: the training of soldiers (as in marching)
3
: instruction in a subject or physical training that is practiced repeatedly
drill
3 of 4noun
: a special machine for making holes or furrows and planting seeds in them
drill
4 of 4verb
drilled; drilling
: to sow seeds with or as if with a special machine
Medical Definition
drill 1 of 2
transitive verb
ˈdril
: 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 2noun
: an instrument with an edged or pointed end for making holes in hard substances (as bones or teeth) by revolving
drill 1 of 3
noun
1
as in routine
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity shuttling the kids between extracurricular activities is all part of the suburban drill Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- routine
- grind
- groove
- rut
- rote
- pattern
- treadmill
- practice
- technique
- lockstep
- plan
- program
- procedure
- method
- strategy
- habit
- regimen
- approach
- trick
- practise
- tack
- style
- tradition
- design
- custom
- housekeeping
- scheme
- policy
- wont
- daily dozen
- way
- manner
- fashion
- convention
2
as in exercise
something done over and over in order to develop skill doing vocabulary drills all afternoon in preparation for the test Synonyms & Similar Words
- exercise
- practice
- training
- lesson
- routine
- workout
- practise
- homework
- refresher
- assignment
- brushup
- review
drill
2 of 3verb (1)
1
as in to pierce
to make a hole or series of holes in the nerve-jangling sound when a dentist drills a tooth Synonyms & Similar Words
- pierce
- punch
- hole
- poke
- puncture
- bore
- tap
- perforate
- riddle
- cut
- penetrate
- excavate
- break
- broach
- groove
- split
- hollow
- slash
- prick
- gouge
- slit
- notch
- gash
- rupture
- prickle
- rend
- burrow (into)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fill
- patch
- plug
- seal
2
as in to shoot
to strike with a missile from a gun drilled the target from 100 yards away Synonyms & Similar Words
- shoot
- gun
- plug
- pop
- kill
- drop
- destroy
- slay
- slaughter
- blow away
- pistol
- shotgun
- bring down
- shoot down
- pick off
- pepper
- butcher
- dispatch
- massacre
- wipe out
- blaze
- fire (at)
- potshot
- ice
- snipe (at)
- decimate
- blot out
- blast (at)
- fell
- annihilate
- machine-gun
- tommy-gun
- croak
- do in
drill
3 of 3verb (2)
as in to plant
to put or set into the ground to grow he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn Synonyms & Similar Words
- plant
- seed
- put in
- bed
- sow
- pot
- replant
- broadcast
- transplant
- scatter
- overseed
- reseed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gather
- harvest
- reap