drilling
Drilling (noun) means the process of boring holes into a surface or material. Example: “Oil drilling began off the coast last year.”
How to Use Drilling
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBoring holes (as with oil or construction), or running repeated practice exercises.
Word Forms
drillings plural, drillings plural, Drillings plural
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Oil _____ began off the coast last year.
Related Words
Rhymes for drilling
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “drilling” mean?
The word “drilling” means the process of boring holes into a surface or material. In plain terms, boring holes (as with oil or construction), or running repeated practice exercises.
How do you pronounce “drilling”?
“Drilling” is pronounced DRIH-lihng (/ˈdɹɪlɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “drilling” in a sentence?
Here is “drilling” used in a sentence: “Oil drilling began off the coast last year.”
What part of speech is “drilling”?
“Drilling” is a noun.
Is “drilling” a common word?
“Drilling” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “drilling” have?
“Drilling” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the process of boring holes into a surface or material.
What is the difference between 'drilling' and 'boring' a hole?
Both refer to making a hole, but 'drilling' specifically uses a rotating tool to cut into a surface or material. 'Boring' is a more general term for making or enlarging a hole and can involve other methods.
What is the difference between 'drilling' and ordinary 'practice'?
Drilling is a form of practice built on repeating the same exercise many times to build a skill or discipline, and is common in military and sports training. Practice is broader and does not have to be repetitive or highly structured.
What is 'drilling' in an oil or mining context?
There, drilling means boring deep holes into the ground to reach oil, gas, water, or minerals. It covers the whole operation of using a drill rig to penetrate rock.
What is 'drilling' in language learning?
In education, drilling means practising something through structured repetition, such as repeating vocabulary or grammar patterns until they are memorised. The aim is to make a skill automatic through frequent rehearsal.