drill

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

OXFORD DICTIONARY

drill, n. & v.
--n.
1 a pointed, esp. revolving, steel tool or machine used for boring cylindrical holes, sinking wells, etc.
2 a esp. Mil. instruction or training in military exercises. b rigorous discipline or methodical instruction, esp. when learning or performing tasks. c routine procedure to be followed in an emergency (fire-drill). d a routine or exercise (drills in irregular verb patterns).
3 colloq. a recognized procedure (I expect you know the drill).
4 any of various molluscs, esp. Urosalpinx cinera, that bore into the shells of young oysters.
--v.
1 tr. (also absol.) a (of a person or a tool) make a hole with a drill through or into (wood, metal, etc.). b make (a hole) with a drill.
2 tr. & intr. esp. Mil. subject to or undergo discipline by drill.
3 tr. impart (knowledge etc.) by a strict method.
4 tr. sl. shoot with a gun (drilled him full of holes).

Derivative

driller n.

drill, n. & v.
--n.
1 a machine used for making furrows, sowing, and covering seed.
2 a small furrow for sowing seed in.
3 a ridge with such furrows on top.
4 a row of plants so sown.
--v.tr.
1 sow (seed) with a drill.
2 plant (the ground) in drills.

drill, n. a W. African baboon, Papio leucophaeus, related to the mandrill.

drill, n. a coarse twilled cotton or linen fabric.

Etymology

earlier drilling f. G Drillich f. L trilix -licis f. tri- three + licium thread

THESAURUS

drill

SOP, accustom, aculeus, acumination, application, apprentice, apprenticeship, athletics, auger, basic training, bed, bit, bite, bone, boning, bore, bore bit, borer, brace and bit, brainwork, break, break in, breaking, breast auger, breast drill, breather, breed, breeding, bring up, broach, broadcast, burr, burrow, calisthenics, chamfer bit, coach, common practice, con, condition, conditioning, conning, constitutional, contemplate, contemplation, corkscrew, countersink, cram, cramming, cross bit, cultivate, cultivation, cusp, daily dozen, deepen, delve, depress, develop, development, diamond drill, dibble, dig, dig out, dike, discipline, disseminate, dive, dredge, drill press, drilling, drive, elucubrate, empierce, engrossment, examine, excavate, exercise, exercising, extensive study, fetch up, fetching-up, fit, fix, forest, form, foster, fostering, furrow, gimlet, go over, gore, gouge, gouge out, grind, grinding, groom, grooming, groove, grub, gymnastic exercises, gymnastics, habituate, hand drill, headwork, hole, honeycomb, house-train, housebreak, housebreaking, impale, implant, improve, improvement, in-service training, indoctrinate, inseminate, inspection, instruct, isometrics, keyway drill, lance, lick into shape, lower, lucubrate, lucubration, manual training, matter of course, mental labor, military training, mine, mucro, neb, needle, nib, nurse, nurture, nurturing, on-the-job training, penetrate, perforate, perusal, peruse, physical education, physical jerks, pierce, pink, plant, plunge into, point, pore over, portable drill, posthole auger, pot, power drill, practice, preparation, prepare, prescribed form, prick, prickle, procedure, pump drill, punch, puncture, put in, put in tune, put to school, quarry, raise, raising, ratchet drill, read, reading, ready, readying, ream, ream out, reamer, rear, rearing, reforest, regard studiously, rehearsal, rehearse, repetition, reset, restudy, restudying, retimber, review, riddle, rotary drill, rule, run through, sap, scatter seed, school, scoop, scoop out, scrabble, scrape, scratch, seed, seed down, seminate, send to school, set, set form, setting-up exercises, shovel, sink, skewer, sloyd, sow, sow broadcast, spade, spear, spike, spit, stab, standard operating procedure, standing orders, star drill, stick, sting, strap drill, stretch, study, studying, subject, swot, swotting, take in hand, tap, teach, tip, train, training, transfix, transpierce, transplant, trench, trepan, trephine, trough, tunnel, tutor, twist bit, twist drill, upbringing, vet, vocational education, vocational training, wade through, wide reading, wimble, workout, yoga

ROGET THESAURUS

drill

Opening

VB open, ope, gape, yawn, bilge, fly open, perforate, pierce, empierce, tap, bore, drill, mine, tunnel, transpierce, transfix, enfilade, impale, spike, spear, gore, spit, stab, pink, puncture, lance, stick, prick, riddle, punch, stave in, cut a passage through, make way for, make room for, uncover, unclose, unrip, lay open, cut open, rip open, throw open, pop open, blow open, pry open, tear open, pull open.

Perforator

N perforator, piercer, borer, auger, chisel, gimlet, stylet, drill, wimble, awl, bradawl, scoop, terrier, corkscrew, dibble, trocar, trepan, probe, bodkin, needle, stiletto, rimer, warder, lancet, punch, puncheon, spikebit, gouge, spear, puncher, punching machine, punching press, punch pliers.

Rotation

N rotation, revolution, spinning, gyration, turning about an axis, turning aound an axis, circulation, roll, circumrotation, circumvolution, circumgyration, volutation, circination, turbination, pirouette, convolution, verticity, whir, whirl, eddy, vortex, whirlpool, gurge, countercurrent, Maelstrom, Charybdis, Ixion, cyclone, tornado, whirlwind, dust devil, spin-out, axis, axis of rotation, swivel, pivot, pivot point, axle, spindle, pin, hinge, pole, arbor, bobbin, mandrel, axle shaft, gymbal, hub, hub of rotation, helix, helical motion, angular momentum, angular velocity, revolutions per minute, RPM, centrifugal force, surge, vertigo, dizzy round, coriolus force, carousel, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, top, dreidel, teetotum, gyroscope, turntable, lazy suzan, screw, whirligig, rollingstone, water wheel, windmill, wheel, pulley wheel, roulette wheel, potter's wheel, pinwheel, gear, roller, flywheel, jack, caster, centrifuge, ultracentrifuge, bench centrifuge, refrigerated centrifuge, gas centrifuge, microfuge, drill, augur, oil rig, wagon wheel, wheel, tire, tyre, trochilics, whirling dervish, rotating, rotary, rotary, circumrotatory, trochilic, vertiginous, gyratory, vortical, vorticose, head over heels, round and round, like a horse in a mill.

Teaching

N teaching, instruction, edification, education, tuition, tutorage, tutelage, direction, guidance, opsimathy, qualification, preparation, training, schooling, discipline, excitation, drill, practice, book exercise, persuasion, proselytism, propagandism, propaganda, indoctrination, inculcation, inoculation, advise, explanation, lesson, lecture, sermon, apologue, parable, discourse, prolection, preachment, chalk talk, Chautauqua, exercise, task, curriculum, course, course of study, grammar, three R's, initiation, A, B, C, elementary education, primary education, secondary education, technical education, college education, collegiate education, military education, university education, liberal education, classical education, religious education, denominational education, moral education, secular education, propaedeutics, moral tuition, gymnastics, calisthenics, physical drill, physical education, sloyd, phonics, rote, rote memorization, brute memory, cooperative learning, Montessori method, ungraded classes, test, examination, exam, final exam, mid-term exam grade, score, marks, A, B, C, D, E, F, gentleman's C, pass, fail, incomplete, homework, take-home lesson, exercise for the student, theme, project, teaching, taught, educational, scholastic, academic, doctrinal, disciplinal, instructive, instructional, didactic, propaedeutic, propaedeutical, the schoolmaster abroad, a bovi majori disscit arare minor, adeo in teneris consuecere multum est, docendo discimus, quaenocent docent, qui docet discit, sermons in stones and good in everything.

VB teach, instruct, educate, edify, school, tutor, cram, prime, coach, enlighten, inculcate, indoctrinate, inoculate, infuse, instill, infix, ingraft, infiltrate, imbue, impregnate, implant, graft, sow the seeds of, disseminate, given an idea of, put up to, put in the way of, set right, sharpen the wits, enlarge the mind, give new ideas, open the eyes, bring forward, teach the young idea how to shoot, improve, expound, lecture, read a lesson, give a lesson, give a lecture, give a sermon, give a discourse, incept, hold forth, preach, sermonize, moralize, point a moral, train, discipline, bring up, bring up to, form, ground, prepare, qualify, drill, exercise, practice, habituate, familiarize with, nurture, drynurse, breed, rear, take in hand, break, break in, tame, preinstruct, initiate, inure, put to nurse, send to school, direct, guide, direct attention to, impress upon the mind, impress upon the memory, beat into, beat into the head, convince, book, workbook, exercise book, preach to the wise, teach one's grandmother to suck eggs, teach granny to suck eggs, preach to the converted.