gill

From Middle English gille, gylle (“gill”), of North Germanic origin, akin to Danish gælle, Swedish gäl, Norwegian gjelle, and further to Old Norse gjǫlnar (“lips”), which also may have had the meaning of "gills" (based on Old Danish fiskegæln (“gills”)). The Old Norse word has been suggested as deriving from Proto-Germanic *gelunō (“jaw”), which would make it root-cognate to Ancient Greek χελύνη (khelúnē, “lip, jaw”), χεῖλος (kheîlos, “lip”).

Displaced native Old English ċīe.

• IPA^(key): /ɡɪl/
• Rhymes: -ɪl

• Audio (US)

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gill (plural gills)

1. (animal anatomy) A breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals.
   • 1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC:

     Fishes […] perform their respiration under water by the gills.

2. (of a fish) A gill slit or gill cover.

   Gill nets are designed to catch a fish by the gills.

3. (mycology) One of the radial folds on the underside of the cap of a mushroom, the surface of which bears the spore-producing organs.

   Synonym: lamella

4. (animal anatomy) The fleshy flap that hangs below the beak of a fowl; a wattle.
5. (figuratively) The flesh under or about the chin; a wattle.
   • 1728, Jonathan Swift, Ballad on Ballyspellin:

     dropsy fills you to the gills

6. (spinning) One of the combs of closely ranged steel pins which divide the ribbons of flax fiber or wool into fewer parallel filaments.

• branchia

• lung

gill (third-person singular simple present gills, present participle gilling, simple past and past participle gilled)

1. To remove the gills from a fish as part of gutting and cleaning it.
   • 1948, Oliver Hazard Perry Rodman, The Saltwater Fisherman's Favorite Four, page 166:

     As we had fish home in the icebox, when Bill led the fish up alongside, I leaned over the combing, gilled the fish with my fingers, slid out the hook and let go. The bass lay there for a moment, tired from the arch of the rod and the pull of the line.

   • 2014, Scott Tippett, Polaris, →ISBN, page 99:

     She gutted and gilled the fish, then scaled it.

2. (transitive) To catch (a fish) in a gillnet.
   • 1898, Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, page 255:

     Owing to the peculiar shape of the pompano and the relatively large mesh in the pompano gill nets, the fish are not caught by being actually gilled.

   • 1971, Michael Culley, G. A. Kerkut, The Pilchard: Biology and Exploitation →ISBN, page 70:

     In cases of very heavy catches the nets may be hauled and stored with the fish still gilled. The fish would then be shaken out on return to the port.

   • 1994, G.D. Pickett, M.G. Pawson, Sea Bass: Biology, →ISBN, page 177:

     The intention is to gill the fish, so they are usually scared into the net by rowing one boat into the middle of the net circle and banging the oars on the boat bottom or splashing the water.

3. (intransitive) To be or become entangled in a gillnet.
   • 1926, Walter Koelz, Fishing industry of the Great Lakes, page 556:

     Since the fine threads of the net usually are caught under the gill covers of the fish they are said to be "gilled."

   • 2010, Edward A. Perrine, Midnight Tracy, →ISBN, page 147:

     Also, when fish gilled there wasn't as much extra twine to tangle in, so they were easier to release from the net.

From Middle English gille, from Old French gille (“a wine measure”), from Medieval Latin gillo (“earthenware jar”), possibly from Gaulish gallā (“vessel”).

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɪl/
• Rhymes: -ɪl
• Homophone: Jill

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gill (plural gills)

1. A drink measure for spirits and wine, approximately a quarter of a pint, but varying regionally.
2. (archaic, British) A measuring jug holding a quarter or half a pint.
3. (dated, US) A unit of measure equal to 4 US fluid ounces (half a cup, a quarter of a US pint), approximately 118 milliliters.

• gill-ale
• gillhouse
• gillie

From Middle English gille, from Old Norse gil.

• ghyll

• IPA^(key): /ɡɪl/
• Rhymes: -ɪl

gill (plural gills)

1. (British) rivulet
2. (British) ravine

• Lowgill, Low Gill

Uncertain.

gill (plural gills)

1. a two-wheeled frame for transporting timber

Clipping of gillian, from the female name Gillian.

• jill

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɪl/

gill (plural gills)

1. a female ferret
2. (obsolete) a promiscuous woman; harlot, wanton
3. (obsolete) a prostitute
   • 1646, Humphrey Mill, “Section XXI”, in The Nights Search, Part 2‎, page 129:

     Gill comes from the Knight, that did so seek / To gaine her love; she's hir'd for a week.

• (promiscuous woman): see Thesaurus:promiscuous woman
• (prostitute): see Thesaurus:prostitute

gill (third-person singular simple present gills, present participle gilling, simple past and past participle gilled)

1. (obsolete) To act as a prostitute.
   • 1719, Henry Playford, “Lewis Upon the Fret”, in Wit and Mirth: Or, Pills to Purge Melancholy, page 72:

     Comme proprement le fine of my Designs dey make; / Dam gilling Whore / Et Louis d'or

• see Thesaurus:prostitute oneself

gill m

1. vocative/genitive singular of geall (“pledge, security; wager, bet; gage, challenge; palm, prize; supremacy; token, promise; assets”)

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “gill”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Compare English gill.

gill (plural gills)

1. a measure of liquid equivalent to one-fourth of a mutchkin or three quarters of an Imperial gill, about 110 millilitres; (by extension) a serving of drink
   • 1864, James Patterson, Reminiscences of Auld Ayr‎, page 101:

     […] it will be strange if you and me part dry mouthed ; mony a gill I’ve got frae you ; it’s my turn this time.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. a vessel with a capacity of one gill

• Hawick gill

gill (third-person singular simple present gills, present participle gilling, simple past gill'd, past participle gill'd)

1. to drink, tipple

From Old Norse gil, Norwegian gjel (“gorge, ravine”), attested a. 1500.

gill (plural gills)

1. a narrow valley with steep sides, a gully

• “gill” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.

gill m

1. inflection of geall (“bet, wager”):
   1. vocative/genitive singular
   2. nominative/dative plural

gill (not comparable)

1. (in "(tredje) gången gillt") (third) time's the charm, (third) time lucky

   Nähä, inte tredje gången gillt. Fjärde gången gillt kanske?

   Well, third time apparently wasn't the charm. Fourth time lucky, maybe?

2. (in compounds) valid, fulfilling all requirements
3. (in compounds) appropriate, as it should be

• avdragsgill
• gå sin gilla gång
• omdömesgill

• gill in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• gill in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• gill in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)