star drill
- noun
- Archaic
:
broca estelar
- The mason selected a star drill to create a hole in the granite slab.
Examples
-
After several blows with the hammer, the star drill finally punctured the stone wall.
-
You should wear safety goggles when using a star drill on masonry.
-
The worker used a star drill to create a hole in the stone.
-
Can you pass me the star drill?
-
The mason selected a star drill to create a hole in the granite slab.
-
After several blows with the hammer, the star drill finally punctured the stone wall.
-
You should wear safety goggles when using a star drill on masonry.
Synonyms
90
2.3
A tool that makes holes by turning a sharp bit
A tool that makes holes in hard rock
A powered tool that drills holes in rock for mining or building
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a drill with a star-shaped point' is directly and compositionally derived from 'star' (a figure with points) + 'drill' (a tool for making holes); the compound straightforwardly names the tool by its shape and function. This N+N compounding pattern (shape + tool) is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Star drill is a hand tool with a sharp point that looks like a little star. You hit it with a hammer and turn it so the star points cut into stone and make a 'hole', so the words star and drill describe the tool's job.