Gills

[gil] /gɪl/

noun
1.
the respiratory organ of aquatic animals, as fish, that breathe oxygen dissolved in water.
2.
Also called lamella. one of the radiating vertical plates on the underside of the cap of an agaric mushroom.
3.
.
verb (used with object)
4.
to gut or clean (fish).
Idioms
5.
to catch (fish) by the gills in a gill net.
6.
green / white around the gills, somewhat pale, as from being sickly, nervous, or frightened:
When he heard how much the bill was, he looked a little green around the gills.
7.
to the gills, Informal. fully; completely; totally:
After that big meal we were all stuffed to the gills.
[jil] /dʒɪl/
noun
1.
a unit of liquid measure equal to ¼ pint (118.2937 ml).
[gil] /gɪl/
noun, British.
1.
a deep rocky cleft or wooded ravine forming the course of a stream.
2.
a stream; brook; rivulet.
[jil] /dʒɪl/
noun
1.
a girl or young woman; sweetheart.
[gil] /gɪl/ Textiles.
noun
1.
a faller used in the combing process, generally for only the highest-quality fibers.
verb (used with object)
2.
to comb (fibers) with a gill.
[gil for 1; jil for 2] /gɪl for 1; dʒɪl for 2/
noun
1.
a male given name.
2.
a female given name.
/ɡɪlz/
plural noun
1.
(sometimes sing) the wattle of birds such as domestic fowl
2.
(informal) green around the gills, green about the gills, looking or feeling nauseated
/ɡɪl/
noun
1.
the respiratory organ in many aquatic animals, consisting of a membrane or outgrowth well supplied with blood vessels. External gills occur in tadpoles, some molluscs, etc; internal gills, within gill slits, occur in most fishes related adjective branchial
2.
any of the radiating leaflike spore-producing structures on the undersurface of the cap of a mushroom
verb
3.
to catch (fish) or (of fish) to be caught in a gill net
4.
(transitive) to gut (fish)
/dʒɪl/
noun
1.
a unit of liquid measure equal to one quarter of a pint
2.
(Northern English, dialect) half a pint, esp of beer
/ɡɪl/
noun (dialect)
1.
a narrow stream; rivulet
2.
a wooded ravine
3.
(capital when part of place name) a deep natural hole in rock; pothole: Gaping Gill
/dʒɪl/
noun
1.
(archaic) a girl or sweetheart
2.
(dialect) a female ferret Also spelt jill
3.
an archaic or dialect name for ground ivy
/ɡɪl/
noun
1.
(Arthur) Eric (Rowton). 1882–1940, British sculptor, engraver, and typographer: his sculptures include the Stations of the Cross in Westminster Cathedral, London
n.

“organ of breathing in fishes,” early 14c., of unknown origin, perhaps from a Scandinavian source, e.g. Old Norse giolnar which perhaps means “gills;” Old Danish -gæln (in fiske-gæln “fish gill”). Related: Gills.

liquid measure (commonly a half-pint), late 13c., from Old French gille, a wine measure, and directly from Medieval Latin gillo “earthenware jar,” of uncertain origin.

fem. proper name, see Jill.
gill
(gĭl)

Related Terms

green around the gills, lit to the gills, soused, stewed
see: