drill
drill Lexical Profile
drill Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A hand tool, power tool, or machine fitted with a rotating cutting tip or reciprocating hammer, used for making holes in solid materials.
"She used a cordless electric drill to attach the bracket firmly to the wooden stud."
A rigorous, repetitive exercise or training regimen, often conducted in military, academic, sports, or emergency preparedness contexts.
"The school conducts a fire drill every month to ensure students know how to evacuate safely."
A large, endangered short-tailed monkey (Mandrillus leucophaeus) closely related to the mandrill, native to the rainforests of Cameroon, Nigeria, and Equatorial Guinea, characterized by a dark grey face.
"Conservationists are working to protect the natural habitat of the drill from aggressive logging operations."
• verb
To produce a hole in something by or as if by boring with a specialized tool.
"The construction crew had to drill through several feet of solid bedrock to lay the foundation."
To instruct or train someone in the fundamentals of a subject or task through rigorous, repetitive practice.
"The coach drilled the players on defensive formations until their movements became completely instinctive."
To sow seeds in closely spaced rows using a mechanical seeder (agricultural context).
"The farmers plan to drill the winter wheat as soon as the heavy rains subside."
• Rhymes for drill
Word Origin & Etymology
Early 17th century: from Middle Dutch 'drillen', meaning 'to bore' or 'to turn in a circle', which evolved to mean both rotating a tool to make a hole and repeatedly turning troops in military exercises.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.