sill

noun

ˈsil 

1

: a horizontal piece (such as a timber) that forms the lowest member or one of the lowest members of a framework or supporting structure: such as

a

: the horizontal member at the base of a window

b

: the threshold of a door

2

: a tabular body of igneous rock injected while molten between sedimentary or volcanic beds or along foliation planes of metamorphic rocks

3

: a submerged ridge at relatively shallow depth separating the basins of two bodies of water

Examples of sill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seamless door handles 64-color ambient lighting, a wireless smartphone charger, biometric fingerprint scanner, and illuminated door sills add to the upscale offerings. —James Raia, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024

Attach the crevice nozzle to clean window sills, stairs, and furniture, or opt for the brush tool to clean dusty surfaces and upholstery. —Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 9 Jan. 2024

Since 1988, the Army Corps has used sills, or underwater levees, to block the salt, drawing from the same pool of funds as the dredging project. —Jacey Fortin, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023

The gap between the sill and the trim on your window is probably deeper than that. —Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023

Exterior and interior halves drape over a sill to leave the window mostly unobscured. —Associated Press, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024

Courtesy of Gradient In the US, a company called Gradient has developed a heat pump (shown above) that slips over a window sill, targeting those homes and apartments without existing ducting. —Matt Simon, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024

The blast left cracks in the exterior and interior walls of his home and damaged his window sills. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024

Street cafes and homes all sport plenty of balancing black, whether in iron railings, chairs, tables or planter boxes on a window sill. —Charlotte Observer, 1 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sille, from Old English syll; akin to Old High German swelli beam, threshold

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sill

noun

ˈsil 

1

: a horizontal piece (as a timber) that forms the lowest part of a supporting structure: as

a

: the horizontal piece at the base of a window

b

: the timber or stone at the foot of a door : threshold

2

: a flat mass of igneous rock injected while melted between other rocks