drill

A2 Topic:Education & Learning

US /dɹɪl/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #3647

Meanings

1

verb
To make a hole using a drill or other pointed tool.

Don't drill here; there's a gas pipe in the wall.
2

verb
To learn or practice something by repeating it many times.

We drilled the new vocabulary until we knew it well.
3

verb
To train soldiers or others by making them repeat exercises.

The sergeant drilled his troops every morning.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make a hole using a... bore

2 verb · to learn or practice... practice

Word family

Forms drilleddrills

Derived forms antidrilldrillabilitydrillabledrilldodrilldowndrillheaddrillmasterdrillockdrillproofdrillshipdrillstockdrop-drill

Common collocations

drill a hole Verb + noun

Etymology

From Middle English drillen (“to delay, defer, put off”), of origin unknown.

drillen Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Education & Learning

# drill

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** dɹɪl
**Frequency rank:** 3647

## Meanings
1. To make a hole using a drill or other pointed tool.
2. To learn or practice something by repeating it many times.
3. To train soldiers or others by making them repeat exercises.

## Examples
- Don't drill here; there's a gas pipe in the wall.
- We drilled the new vocabulary until we knew it well.
- The sergeant drilled his troops every morning.

## Derived Forms
- antidrill
- drillability
- drillable
- drilldo
- drilldown
- drillhead
- drillmaster
- drillock
- drillproof
- drillship
- drillstock
- drop-drill

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: drillen

## Etymology
From Middle English drillen (“to delay, defer, put off”), of origin unknown.

## AI Etymology
Drill comes from Middle English drillen (“to delay, defer, put off”), of origin unknown. In current use, the main senses are “To make a hole using a drill or other pointed tool” and “To learn or practice something by repeating it many times”.

## Topics
- Education & Learning

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