drill

The word “drill” means to make a hole in something using a rotating cutting tool. In plain terms, to bore a hole with a spinning tool, or to practise something over and over until it sticks — also a name for a hard-edged rap genre.

“Drill” is pronounced drihl (/dɹɪl/ in IPA).

Here is “drill” used in a sentence: “He drilled a hole in the wall to hang the shelf.”

Depending on how it is used, “drill” can be a verb and a noun.

“Drill” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Drill” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make a hole in something using a rotating cutting tool.

A drill is a repeated practice routine that builds one specific skill or procedure until it becomes automatic, such as a fire drill or a passing drill in sport. An exercise is usually broader, simulating a whole task or scenario and testing judgement as well as technique. Drills build reflexes; exercises rehearse the bigger picture.

In everyday English the two overlap — a drill is literally a tool used for boring holes. In engineering and machining, though, drilling usually means cutting a new hole with a rotating bit, while boring means enlarging or finishing a hole that already exists. Outside workshops, drill is by far the more common word.

A fire drill is a repeated practice exercise that prepares people for an emergency evacuation. Everyone in the building rehearses leaving by the correct routes and gathering at an assembly point, so the response becomes automatic if a real fire occurs. Schools and workplaces run them at regular intervals, often unannounced.