plural pills
1
a
: a small, rounded object that you swallow and that contains medicine, vitamins, etc.
She took a pill for her headache.
The drug is available as a pill or a liquid.
diet pills
b
: a pill that a woman takes so that she will not become pregnant : a contraceptive in pill form
She is on the pill. [=she is taking birth control pills regularly]
2
US, informal
: an annoying person
—usually singular
Don't be such a pill.
pills; pilled; pilling
of a sweater, fabric, etc.
: to begin to have small balls of fiber on the surface usually after having been worn or used many times
Wool sweaters may pill after you wash them.
Cite this Entry
“Pill.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/pill. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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