pill
1 of 3verb (1)
ˈpil 
pilled; pilling; pills
intransitive verb
dialectal, chiefly England : to come off in flakes or scales : peel
transitive verb
1
archaic : to subject to depredation or extortion
2
dialect : to peel or strip off
pill
2 of 3noun
1
a
: a usually medicinal or dietary preparation in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole
b
often capitalized : birth control pill —usually used with the
2
: something repugnant or unpleasant that must be accepted or endured
3
: something resembling a pill in size or shape
4
: a disagreeable or tiresome person
pill
3 of 3verb (2)
pilled; pilling; pills
transitive verb
1
: to dose with pills
2
: blackball
intransitive verb
: to become rough with or mat into little balls
brushed woolens often pill
Synonyms
Noun
- cap
- capsule
- lozenge
- tablet
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun She took a pill for her headache. The drug is available as a pill or a liquid.
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English pilen, pillen, partly from Old English pilian to peel, partly from Anglo-French piler to rob
Noun
Middle English pylle, from Anglo-French pile & Middle Dutch pille, both ultimately from Latin pilula, from diminutive of pila ball
First Known Use
Verb (1)
12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (2)
1736, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Phrases Containing pill
Kids Definition
pill
noun
ˈpil
: medicine or a food supplement in the form of a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole
Medical Definition
pill
noun
ˈpil
1
: a usually medicinal or dietary preparation in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole
2
often capitalized : birth control pill —usually used with the
has been on the pill for three years
pills
noun
1
as in tablets
a small mass containing medicine to be taken orally you'll have to take one of these pills every six hours for your flu Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- tablets
- capsules
- drugs
- doses
- medications
- lozenges
- pharmaceuticals
- caps
- dosages
- remedies
- potions
- medicinals
- drops
- preparations
- cures
- physics
- gelcaps
- wonder drugs
- miracle drugs
- boluses
- specifics
- pilules
2
as in dogs
a person whose behavior is offensive to others she can be such a pill when things don't go her way Synonyms & Similar Words
- dogs
- jerks
- bastards
- clowns
- skunk
- jokers
- skunks
- creeps
- rats
- snakes
- heels
- louses
- cruds
- buggers
- reptiles
- idiots
- beasts
- morons
- toads
- sons of guns
- swine
- stinkards
- cads
- villains
- curs
- scuzzballs
- rotters
- bounders
- brutes
- varmints
- blighters
- stinkers
- bleeders
- scums
- scumbags
- vermin
- finks
- brats
- schmucks
- louts
- nuts
- sleazes
- nuisances
- slimeballs
- fools
- sods
- buzzards
- dirtbags
- cretins
- rat finks
- crumbs
- hounds
- boors
- slimes
- churls
- dopes
- barbarians
- scabs
- sleazeballs
- sleazebags
- savages
- chuffs
- boobies
- so-and-so's
- nerds
- slobs
- rascals
- dufuses
- so-and-sos
- scoundrels
- wretches
- lowlives
- rogues
- loudmouths
- turkeys
- cavemen
- dinks
- blockheads
- lowlifes
- vulgarians
- goons
- imbeciles
- snips
- roughnecks
- miscreants
- scamps
- nincompoops
- dolts
- ninnies
- insolents
- airheads
- snots
- pests
- doofuses
- nits
- jackasses
- schmoes
- snobs
- dorks
- nitwits
- birdbrains
- dweebs
- snoots
- Neanderthals
- half-wits
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ladies
- heroes
- gentlemen
- idols
- role models
- heroines
- saints
- angels