/ drɪl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a tool or machine with a pointed end for making holes :
an electric drill
a pneumatic drill
a hand drill
a dentist's drill
a drill bit (= the pointed part at the end of the drill )
2.
[ C , U ] a way of learning sth by means of repeated exercises
3.
[ C , U ] a practice of what to do in an emergency, for example if there is a fire :
a fire drill
4.
[ U ] military training in marching, the use of weapons, etc. :
rifle drill
5.
the drill [ sing. ] ( old-fashioned , BrE ) the correct or usual way to do sth
SYN procedure :
What's the drill for claiming expenses?
6.
[ U ] a type of strong cotton cloth
7.
[ C ] a machine for planting seeds in rows
■ verb
1.
to make a hole in sth, using a drill :
[ vn ]
Drill a series of holes in the frame.
[ v ]
They're drilling for oil off the Irish coast.
He drilled through the wall by mistake.
2.
drill sb (in sth) to teach sb to do sth by making them repeat it a lot of times :
[ vn to inf ]
The children were drilled to leave the classroom quickly when the fire bell rang.
[ vn ]
a well-drilled team
3.
[ vn ] to train soldiers to perform military actions
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PHRASAL VERBS
- drill down
- drill sth into sb
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun senses 1 to 5 and verb early 17th cent.: from Middle Dutch drillen bore, turn in a circle.
noun sense 7 early 18th cent. (as a noun in the sense small furrow ): perhaps from drill make a hole .
noun sense 6 early 18th cent.: abbreviation of earlier drilling , from German Drillich , from Latin trilix triple-twilled, from tri- three + licium thread.