hill
hih
Hill (noun) means a raised area of land, smaller and less steep than a mountain. Example: “We walked to the top of the hill to watch the sunset.”
noun
1
A raised area of land, smaller and less steep than a mountain.
"We walked to the top of the hill to watch the sunset."
"Sheep were grazing on the green hill behind the farm."
"The village sits at the foot of a gentle hill."
2
A sloping section of road.
"Cyclists dread the long hill at the end of the route."
"Remember to use a low gear when driving down a steep hill."
"The truck struggled to climb the steep hill."
3
(baseball) The pitcher's mound.
"The pitcher walked slowly back to the hill after the umpire's call."
"The coach sent a young left-hander to the hill in the ninth inning."
"He took the hill for his first start of the season."
verb
1
To pile earth around the base of a plant.
"Farmers hill the earth up around the stems to protect the young crops."
"After the first shoots appear, you should hill the potatoes with a hoe."
"Gardeners hill the soil around potato plants as they grow."
How to use hill
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small raised landform, or, informally, a slope; also baseball slang for the pitcher's mound.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
over the hill
up the hill
the pitcher's hill
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Word forms
- Plural
- hills
- Third person singular
- hills
- Past tense
- hilled
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We walked to the top of the _____ to watch the sunset.
Etymology
From Old English hyll, tracing back through Proto-Germanic to a very old Indo-European root meaning "top" or "rock" — related to the word "holm."
Related words
Rhymes for hill
See all rhymes for hill →Frequently asked questions
What does “hill” mean?
The word “hill” means a raised area of land, smaller and less steep than a mountain. In plain terms, a small raised landform, or, informally, a slope; also baseball slang for the pitcher's mound.
How do you pronounce “hill”?
“Hill” is pronounced hih ([hɪɫ] in IPA).
How do you use “hill” in a sentence?
Here is “hill” used in a sentence: “The village sits at the foot of a gentle hill.”
What part of speech is “hill”?
Depending on how it is used, “hill” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “hill” come from?
The word “hill” comes from Old English. From Old English hyll, tracing back through Proto-Germanic to a very old Indo-European root meaning "top" or "rock" — related to the word "holm.".
Is “hill” a common word?
“Hill” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “hill” have?
“Hill” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a raised area of land, smaller and less steep than a mountain.
What is the difference between a hill and a mountain?
Both are raised areas of land, but a mountain is taller, steeper, and more dramatic, while a hill is lower and more gently sloped. There is no strict height that separates them, though mountains are often said to rise above about 600 metres. In practice, the distinction depends on local tradition as much as measurement.
How high is a hill?
There is no official height for a hill. Historically some definitions capped hills at around 300 metres, above which land was called a mountain, but this rule is no longer strict. What counts as a hill depends on the surrounding landscape — a modest rise can seem like a hill on otherwise flat ground.
What is a foothill?
A foothill is a low hill at the base of a mountain or mountain range, forming a transition between flat land and higher peaks. Foothills are usually gentler and lower than the mountains behind them. The word is often used in the plural, as in the foothills of the Alps or the Himalayas.
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