drill

1 of 6

verb (1)

ˈdril 

drilled; drilling; drills

transitive verb

1

a

: to fix something in the mind or habit pattern of by repetitive instruction

drill pupils in spelling

b

: to impart or communicate by repetition

c

: to train or exercise in military drill

2

a(1)

: to bore or drive a hole in

(2)

: to make by piercing action

drill a hole

b

: to shoot with or as if with a gun

c(1)

: to propel (something, such as a ball) with force or accuracy

drilled a single to right field

(2)

: to hit with force

drilled the batter with the first pitch

intransitive verb

1

: to make a hole with a drill

2

: to engage in an exercise

drillability

ˌdri-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

drillable

ˈdri-lə-bəl 

adjective

driller

ˈdri-lər 

noun

drill

2 of 6

noun (1)

1

: an instrument with an edged or pointed end for making holes in hard substances by revolving or by a succession of blows

also : a machine for operating such an instrument

2

: the act or exercise of training soldiers in marching and in executing prescribed movements with a weapon

3

a

: a physical or mental exercise aimed at perfecting facility and skill especially by regular practice

b

: a formal exercise by a team of marchers

c

: the approved, correct, or usual procedure for accomplishing something : routine

4

a

: a marine snail (Urosalpinx cinerea) destructive to oysters by boring through their shells and feeding on the soft parts

b

: any of several mollusks related to the drill

5

: a drilling sound

drill

3 of 6

noun (2)

: a western African baboon (Mandrillus leucophaeus) having a black face and brown coat and closely related to the mandrill

drill

4 of 6

noun (3)

1

a

: a shallow furrow or trench into which seed is sown

b

: a row of seed sown in such a furrow

2

: a planting implement that makes holes or furrows, drops in the seed and sometimes fertilizer, and covers them with earth

drill

5 of 6

verb (2)

drilled; drilling; drills

transitive verb

1

: to sow (seeds) by dropping along a shallow furrow

2

a

: to sow with seed or set with seedlings inserted in drills

b

: to distribute seed or fertilizer in by means of a drill

drill

6 of 6

noun (4)

: a durable cotton twilled fabric

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• pierce
• punch
• hole
• poke
• bore

Noun (1)

• routine
• grind

Verb (2)

• plant
• put in
• seed

Examples of drill in a Sentence

Verb (1)

the nerve-jangling sound when a dentist drills a tooth

drilled the target from 100 yards away

Noun (1)

shuttling the kids between extracurricular activities is all part of the suburban drill

doing vocabulary drills all afternoon in preparation for the test

Verb (2)

he drills soybeans in the same rows with corn

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Trump also wrote on social media calling on the Department of Energy to drill quickly. —Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 23 June 2025

There was Ben Sheppard drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key as the third quarter expired that nearly blew the roof off the Fieldhouse. —Zak Keefer, New York Times, 20 June 2025

Noun

Jalen Ramsey #5 of the Miami Dolphins takes part in a drill during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex on July 26, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025

Young people from New Britain High School, Hartford Police Explorers and Berlin Police Cadets participated as bystanders, witnesses, and victims in the drill. —Jessica Hill, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Dutch drillen

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Noun (3)

perhaps from drill small stream, from obsolete drill to trickle, drip

Noun (4)

short for drilling

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1619, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1644, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

circa 1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

1743, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing drill

• breast drill
• drill down
• drill into
• drill press
• drill sergeant
• drill team
• fire drill
• know the drill
• oyster drill
• pneumatic drill
• pre-drill
• twist drill

Rhymes for drill

• bill
• brill
• chill
• fil
• fill
• frill
• gill
• grill
• grille
• jill
• kill
• krill

Kids Definition

drill

1 of 5 noun

ˈdril 

1

: a tool for making holes in hard substances

2

: the training of soldiers in military skill and discipline

3

: a physical or mental exercise regularly practiced

4

: a marine snail that bores through oyster shells and feeds on the soft parts

drill

2 of 5 verb

1

: to instruct or train by repetition

drill a child in multiplication

drill troops

2

: to bore or make a hole in with or as if with a drill

drill a tooth

drill a hole

driller noun

drill

3 of 5 noun

1

: a shallow furrow or trench into which seed is sown

2

: a planting machine that makes holes or furrows, drops in seed, and covers it with earth

drill

4 of 5 verb

: to sow with or as if with a drill

drill

5 of 5 noun

: a strong cotton fabric in twill weave

Etymology

Noun

probably from Dutch dril "a tool for drilling holes," derived from early Dutch drillen (verb) "to drill"

Noun

perhaps from earlier drill "a trickling stream"

Noun

shortened from drilling "heavy cotton fabric," from German Drillich (same meaning)

Medical Definition

drill

1 of 2 transitive verb

ˈdril 

: to make a hole in with a drill

the dentist drilled the tooth for a filling

intransitive verb

: to make a hole with a drill

painless dental drilling

drill

2 of 2 noun

: an instrument with an edged or pointed end for making holes in hard substances (as bones or teeth) by revolving