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power drill

power drill

4 2.8
A tool that uses electricity or a battery to make holes in hard things like wood and metal
  • noun
  • /ˈpaʊər drɪl/
translation icon : taladro eléctrico
  • He quickly switched from using a hand drill to a power drill for faster results.

Examples

  • Over there at 47, a power drill whined softly, and Kelly's silhouette worked by a sawhorse in the lighted garage.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I'm gonna pick up some power drills.

  • He got up on his ladder and used a power drill to place the small metal junction box in the corner of the house.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I could be working at my dad's store right now... selling nails, hammers and power drills.

  • The worker used a power drill to create a hole for the new shelf in the wall.

  • She bought a power drill to help with her home renovation project.

Synonyms

electric drill
vspower drill
1 3.0

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

is broader, covers tools run by electric power or battery

How Powerful

power hammer
  • Specialized
6.5
power drill
4 2.8
hand drill
1 3.0

Surface Forms

power drill singular
power drills plural

Morphology

power + drill

The meaning is directly compositional: 'power' (electric energy) modifies 'drill' (a tool for making holes), so a learner who knows both words will infer a drill that runs on electrical power or a battery. This noun–noun compound follows a common and predictable pattern cross-linguistically, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The name power drill comes from two simple words: a drill is a tool that makes holes and power means electricity or a battery that makes it turn. So the phrase means 'an electric tool for making holes'.