plural mills
1
a
: a building with machinery for grinding grain into flour
b
: a machine for grinding grain
2
: a small machine for grinding or crushing pepper, coffee, etc.
a food/pepper mill
3
: a building in which a particular product is made : factory
a paper/cotton/textile/lumber/steel mill
mill workers
4
: something that is compared to a factory because it produces things in large numbers or in a mechanical way
Some critics have described the school as a diploma mill. [=a school where students can obtain diplomas very easily]
The rumor mill has been churning out stories about their marriage. [=there are many rumors about their marriage]
mills; milled; milling
1
: to produce (something) in a mill especially by grinding, crushing, or cutting it
milled wheat/lumber
2
of a group of people
: to walk around in a general area without any particular aim or purpose
The crowd was milling outside the exit.
—usually + around or (chiefly Brit) aboutPeople were just milling around while they waited.
mill
3 of 3variant spelling of mil
Cite this Entry
“Mill.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/mill. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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