British
1
as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
a narrow gill in the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in brook
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
a narrow but surprisingly deep gill runs the length of the rocky gorge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gill
Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
Camera crews were penned in across Lexington Avenue; the temple was packed to the gills.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
In addition to rival avoidance, males retreat into their burrows to rest, stay safe from predators, and wet their gills.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
Slipper limpets, like other mollusks, feed by filtering, or passing water over their gills.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gill
Noun
Instead, axolotls keep their external gills and other juvenile features throughout all of adulthood, according to the London Natural History Museum.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
Camera crews were penned in across Lexington Avenue; the temple was packed to the gills.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
In addition to rival avoidance, males retreat into their burrows to rest, stay safe from predators, and wet their gills.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
Slipper limpets, like other mollusks, feed by filtering, or passing water over their gills.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gill
Cite this Entry
“Gill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gill. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share