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Glite Dictionary
pneumatic drill

pneumatic drill

1 5.0
A heavy drill that uses compressed air to break concrete or road surfaces
  • noun
  • /njuˈmætɪk drɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : martillo neumático
  • There she discovered experiments with Swedish workers using pneumatic drills to explore the effects of strong vibrations on humans, and she reported on these as issues related to her topic.
  • using a pneumatic drill

Examples

  • He wore ear protection while operating the pneumatic drill to minimize the loud noise.

  • Using a portable pneumatic drill, he bored a hole into the rock.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Sol, do we have a pneumatic drill?

    Cradle Will Rock (1999)

  • Standing on a mountain of rusted engines, pneumatic drills, and other equipment, Ripley rummaged through miles of wire, tubing, and spare parts.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Men are tearing up the asphalt; they're in pits banging away with pneumatic drills.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The construction crew used a pneumatic drill to break up the old concrete pavement.

  • During the renovation, they employed a pneumatic drill to create holes for the new electrical wiring.

Synonyms

jackhammer
vspneumatic drill
  • US
24 4.9

A heavy tool that breaks concrete and other hard surfaces

is powered only by compressed air and typically used for road surfaces
pneumatic hammer
vspneumatic drill
  • Specialized
5.1

A heavy tool that uses air to break concrete or rock

is driven by compressed air and used mainly to break road surfaces and concrete

Surface Forms

pneumatic drill singular
pneumatic drills plural

Morphology

pneumatic + drill

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'pneumatic' (operated by air or gas pressure) modifies 'drill' to mean a drill powered by compressed air, so a learner who knows both words can infer the meaning. This adjective + noun pattern is standard and cross-linguistically common, making the expression immediately understandable to learners.

Etymology

Pneumatic drill is named for how it works: pneumatic comes from a word for 'air', and drill is a tool that breaks hard ground or makes holes. Because it is powered by squeezed air, the name gives the clear image of a tool that 'runs on air', which helps remember why it is used to break concrete and roads.