pill

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈpil 

pilled; pilling; pills

intransitive verb

dialectal, chiefly England : to come off in flakes or scales : peel

transitive verb

1

archaic : to subject to depredation or extortion

2

dialect : to peel or strip off

pill

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: a usually medicinal or dietary preparation in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole

b

or Pill : birth control pill

—usually used with the

2

: something repugnant or unpleasant that must be accepted or endured

3

: something resembling a pill in size or shape

4

: a disagreeable or tiresome person

pill

3 of 3

verb (2)

pilled; pilling; pills

transitive verb

1

: to dose with pills

2

: blackball

intransitive verb

: to become rough with or mat into little balls

brushed woolens often pill

Synonyms

Noun

• cap
• capsule
• lozenge
• tablet

Examples of pill in a Sentence

Noun

She took a pill for her headache.

The drug is available as a pill or a liquid.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Frequently Asked Questions What kind of sweaters won’t pill? —Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023

Whether your favorite clothing item is starting to pill or your pet’s fur is taking over your favorite blanket, finding a fabric shaver that does its job simply and well is a top priority. —Kate Oczypok, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2023

As a top performer in the Lab, the sheets held up to washing with minimal shrinkage and didn't pill during durability tests. —Good Housekeeping, 14 Mar. 2023

Many families looking for the best furniture for kids and pets turn to a microfiber couch since the polyester or poly-blend material is pretty easy to wipe clean and doesn't pill or snag; that makes an affordable microfiber sofa a great choice for a first apartment too. —Alyssa Longobucco, House Beautiful, 31 July 2023

However, that's not always feasible for everything in those heaping laundry piles, so hand-wash delicate items or those made from fabric that's likely to pill. —Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023

Despite our many times of wearing them (and purposely trying to destroy them), these tights remained resistant to runs The fabric did tend to pill when it was rubbed against a rough surface Spanx is a PEOPLE favorite (not to mention Oprah's, too) and did not disappoint in our black tights test. —L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 26 June 2023

This sunscreen stick tends to pill a little bit, and probably won’t be ideal for applying under or over makeup. —Daley Quinn, Health, 11 June 2023

Keep in Mind One tester felt that the silky border was dated and was concerned the blanket might pill over time. —Erica Reagle, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2023

Noun

This natural herb can be prepared in several ways—including pills, lozenges, syrups, and gummies—and is featured on grocery store and pharmacy shelves as an alternative to harsher medicines. —Rachel Morgan Cautero, Parents, 27 Sep. 2023

Clearly, Anya Taylor-Joy has taken the red pill—sartorially speaking, that is. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2023

The pills purchased by Jessica Burgess are not prescribed by doctors after a pregnancy has reached 10 weeks, Madison County Attorney Joe Smith said, according to the Norfolk Daily News. —Mitchell McCluskey, CNN, 23 Sep. 2023

Barzilai also has serious reservations about Johnson taking so many supplements and treatments at once, warning that all the different pills could interact with one another in dangerous ways. —Time, 20 Sep. 2023

So there's Instant Knockout Cut, out top choice for the best weight loss pills for men. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2023

Drugmakers also are developing other weight-loss medications, including easier-to-take pills. —Tom Murphy, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Sep. 2023

Last month’s failure of a pill developed by Cambridge biotechs Biogen and Sage Therapeutics to win Food and Drug Administration approval to treat major depressive disorder created an opening for Neumora’s drug. —Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023

The Biogen-Sage pill was cleared by the FDA to treat portpartum depression, a debilitating but less prevalent condition. —Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English pilen, pillen, partly from Old English pilian to peel, partly from Anglo-French piler to rob

Noun

Middle English pylle, from Anglo-French pile & Middle Dutch pille, both ultimately from Latin pilula, from diminutive of pila ball

First Known Use

Verb (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1736, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing pill

• abortion pill
• mini pill
• morning-after pill
• birth control pill
• pill bug
• pep pill
• poison pill
• water pill
• dummy pill
• sugar/sweeten the pill
• pre-pill
• sugar pill
• sleeping pill
• on the pill

See More

• abortion pill
• mini pill
• morning-after pill
• birth control pill
• pill bug
• pep pill
• poison pill
• water pill
• dummy pill
• sugar/sweeten the pill
• pre-pill
• sugar pill
• sleeping pill
• on the pill

See More

Kids Definition

pill

1 of 2 noun

ˈpil 

1

a

: medicine or a food supplement in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole

b

often capitalized : an oral contraceptive

—usually used with the

2

: something resembling a pill in shape or size

3

: something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured

4

: an unpleasant or tiresome person

pill

2 of 2 verb

of a garment

: to develop small balls of fiber on the surface because of wear

Medical Definition

pill

noun

ˈpil 

1

: a usually medicinal or dietary preparation in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole

2

often capitalized : birth control pill

—usually used with the

has been on the pill for three years