Skip to main content
drill

drill

6 9.9
A large monkey from West Africa with a short tail and dark face markings
  • noun
  • /drɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : dril
  • Rihanna was an army cadet in a sub-military program; the singer-songwriter Shontelle was her drill sergeant.

Examples

  • One of the Tongan ladies, gliding back and forth along the front row like a dolled-up drill sergeant, paused suddenly in front of Bascal.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Craft drill: Master gunsmith George Suiter cranks as Richard Frazier, a journeyman, pushes a barrel to a drill bit.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Bear and Max approach the drill hole.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I think this was the last transmission from the drill site.

  • I'm at the old Shepard drill.

  • That drill weighs 6,000 tons.

  • I could be working at my dad's store right now... selling nails, hammers and power drills.

  • Atlantic oyster drills occur in salinities above 15% and are abundant on oyster leases where seed oysters are planted.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The drill is known for its distinctive face markings, making it easy to identify in the wild.

  • In the dense forest of West Africa, the drill has adapted to live in troops, often seen foraging for fruits.

Synonyms

Mandrillus leucophaeus
vsdrill
  • Specialized
9.9

A large West African monkey called the drill that looks like a smaller, duller mandrill

has identical meaning but uses the common English name

Idioms

1 7.7

A real emergency, not a practice or test

Compounds

12 2.4

A practice where people leave a building to be safe during a fire or other emergency

drill bit
  • Specialized
11 3.7

A metal tool that makes holes in hard materials like rock or wood when attached to a drill

A soldier who trains new soldiers in marching, discipline and basic tasks

4 2.8

A tool that uses electricity or a battery to make holes in hard things like wood and metal

drill hole
  • Specialized
3 4.4

A hole made with a drill to take samples or put instruments into rock

Training that teaches soldiers to march, move together, and use weapons

drill press
  • Specialized
2 5.8

A machine that makes accurate vertical holes in metal or wood

drill rig
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A large machine that drills wells to get oil or gas

drill site
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A place where people make holes in the ground to get oil or gas

A hand-held tool that uses electricity to turn a small metal piece to make holes

dentist's drill
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A fast spinning tool dentists use to cut teeth and prepare holes for fillings

1 3.0

A small tool you turn by hand to make holes in wood or other materials

core drill
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A tool that cuts out a round piece from hard materials like concrete or rock

1 7.7

A soldier who trains new soldiers in marching and discipline

pneumatic drill
  • Specialized
1 5.0

A heavy drill that uses compressed air to break concrete or road surfaces

twist drill
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A small cutting tool with spiral grooves that makes holes in wood or metal

breast drill
  • Specialized
8.1

A hand tool with a rotating metal bit and a flat plate you press against the chest to make holes

burr drill
  • Specialized
7.7

A small fast drill dentists use to cut and shape teeth

close-order drill
  • Specialized
8.4

Soldiers march shoulder to shoulder in a set formation for parades

drill rod
  • Specialized
7.5

A strong steel bar used in drills and machines that work under high pressure

drill steel
  • Specialized
7.3

A strong metal used to make rods or bits for rock drills and dowels

Moving or shaped like a tool that makes holes

Archimedean drill
  • Specialized
9.9

A small hand tool with a spiral rod for making tiny precise holes

A small hand tool for making tiny holes in material like jewelry

A small tool you hold to make holes in wood or metal

rock drill
  • Specialized
4.4

A powered tool that drills holes in rock for mining or building

A confused, badly organized practice for leaving a building in an emergency

tip drill
  • Jargon
7.4

A practice exercise where players tip and pass the ball to improve reaction time and coordination

star drill
  • Archaic
8.9

Tool with a point like a star for making holes in stone by hitting and turning it

stone drill
  • Specialized
6.7

A tool that makes holes in hard rock

straight-fluted drill
  • Specialized
7.3

A tool with straight grooves that help remove dust and chips while making holes in hard rock or masonry

5.5

A practice where soccer players control and pass the ball using two touches

Surface Forms

drill singular
drills plural

Etymology

Drill (noun, monkey) comes from a West African name for the animal that English speakers borrowed. So the word simply names this particular monkey species and does not come from the tool or training meaning.