gill

1 of 5

noun (1)

: a unit of liquid capacity equal to four fluid ounces see Weights and Measures Table

gill

2 of 5

noun (2)

1
: an organ (as of a fish) for obtaining oxygen from water
2
b
: the flesh under or about the chin or jaws
usually used in plural
c
: one of the radiating plates forming the undersurface of the cap of a mushroom fungus
gilled adjective

gill

3 of 5

verb

gilled; gilling; gills

intransitive verb

of fish : to become entangled in a gill net
giller noun

gill

4 of 5

noun (3)

1
British : ravine
2
British : a narrow stream or rivulet

gill

5 of 5

noun (4)

often capitalized
Phrases
to the gills
: as full or as much as possible
a suitcase packed to the gills

Examples of gill in a Sentence

Noun (3) a narrow gill in the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District a narrow but surprisingly deep gill runs the length of the rocky gorge Noun (4) every Jack must have his Gill
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
That of course would be Lewis, an old high school acquaintance, who’s coked to the gills and deep in the grip of paranoid delusions when Skye arrives. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2024 Families in cars packed to the gills shared the roads with trucks bearing loads of debris from Helene. Stephanie Castellano, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2024 The successful escapees navigated back up the esophagus and exited tail-first from the predator’s gills. Bygennaro Tomma, science.org, 9 Sep. 2024 But what happened when that top pick was armed to the gills with advantages? Nick Caruso, TVLine, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gill 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English gille, from Medieval Latin gillus, from Late Latin gillo, gello water pot

Noun (2)

Middle English gile, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish gäl gill, Old Norse gjǫlnar lips; akin to Greek chelynē lip, jawbone

Noun (3)

Middle English gille, from Old Norse gil; akin to Old High German gil hernia

Noun (4)

Middle English, from Gill, nickname for Gillian

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gill was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gill

Cite this Entry

“Gill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gill. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

gill

1 of 2 noun
: a unit of liquid capacity equal to four fluid ounces see measure

gill

2 of 2 noun
1
: an organ (as of a fish) of thin plates or threadlike processes for obtaining oxygen from water
2
: the flesh under or about the chin or jaws
usually used in plural
3
: one of the plates arranged in a circle and forming the undersurface of the cap of a mushroom

Medical Definition

gill

1 of 2 noun
: either of two units of capacity:
a
: a British unit equal to ¹/₄ imperial pint or 8.669 cubic inches
b
: a United States liquid unit equal to ¹/₄ United States liquid pint or 7.218 cubic inches

gill

2 of 2 noun
1
: an organ (as of a fish) for obtaining oxygen from water
2
: one of the radiating plates forming the undersurface of the cap of a mushroom
gilled adjective

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