Mills

C(harles) Wright, 1916–62, U.S. sociologist.
Robert, 1781–1855, U.S. architect and engineer.
a factory for certain kinds of manufacture, as paper, steel, or textiles.
a building equipped with machinery for grinding grain into flour and other cereal products.
a machine for grinding, crushing, or pulverizing any solid substance:
a coffee mill.
any of various machines that modify the shape or size of a workpiece by rotating tools or the work:
rolling mill.
any of various other apparatuses for shaping materials or performing other mechanical operations.
a business or institution that dispenses products or services in an impersonal or mechanical manner, as if produced in a factory:
a divorce mill; a diploma mill.
Machinery. a cutter on a milling machine.
a steel roller for receiving and transferring an impressed design, as to a calico-printing cylinder or a banknote-printing plate.
Mining. a place or set of machinery for crushing or concentrating ore.
Slang. a boxing match or fistfight.
to grind, work, treat, or shape in or with a mill.
Coining.

to make a raised edge on (a coin or the like).
to make narrow, radial grooves on the raised edge of (a coin or the like).

to beat or stir, as to a froth:
to mill chocolate.
Slang. to beat or strike; fight; overcome.
to move around aimlessly, slowly, or confusedly, as a herd of cattle (often followed by about or around).
Slang. to fight or box.
through the mill, Informal. undergoing or having undergone severe difficulties, trials, etc., especially with an effect on one’s health, personality, or character:
He’s really been through the mill since his wife’s death.
a unit of monetary value equal to 0.001 of a U.S. dollar; one tenth of a cent: used at various times and places in the U.S. as a money of account, especially in certain tax rates.
Contemporary Examples

The War Over Etta James’ Fortune Christine Pelisek March 7, 2011
Michael Stipe and Mike Mills Talk About R.E.M.’s Breakup Chris Lee November 29, 2011
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans Philip K. Howard December 26, 2014
Michael Stipe and Mike Mills Talk About R.E.M.’s Breakup Chris Lee November 29, 2011
How Paralympian Amy Purdy Dances Like a Star Rose Eveleth April 29, 2014

Historical Examples

Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman J. H. (James Harvey) Kidd
Expositions of Holy Scripture Alexander Maclaren
Memories of a Musical Life William Mason
The Common Law Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 4 Various

noun
Hayley. born 1946, British actress. Her films include Pollyanna (1960) and The Parent Trap (1961)
her father, Sir John. 1908–2005, British actor. His films include This Happy Breed (1944), Great Expectations (1946), and Ryan’s Daughter (1971)
noun
a building in which grain is crushed and ground to make flour
a factory, esp one which processes raw materials: a steel mill
any of various processing or manufacturing machines, esp one that grinds, presses, or rolls
any of various small hand mills used for grinding pepper, salt, or coffee for domestic purposes See also coffee mill, pepper mill
a hard roller for impressing a design, esp in a textile-printing machine or in a machine for printing banknotes
a system, institution, etc, that influences people or things in the manner of a factory: going through the educational mill
an unpleasant experience; ordeal (esp in the phrases go or be put through the mill)
a fist fight
run of the mill, ordinary or routine
verb
(transitive) to grind, press, or pulverize in or as if in a mill
(transitive) to process or produce in or with a mill
to cut or roll (metal) with or as if with a milling machine
(transitive) to groove or flute the edge of (a coin)
(intransitive; often foll by about or around) to move about in a confused manner
(usually transitive) (rare) to beat (chocolate, etc)
(archaic, slang) to fight, esp with the fists
noun
a US and Canadian monetary unit used in calculations, esp for property taxes, equal to one thousandth of a dollar
noun
James. 1773–1836, Scottish philosopher, historian, and economist. He expounded Bentham’s utilitarian philosophy in Elements of Political Economy (1821) and Analysis of the Phenomena of the Human Mind (1829) and also wrote a History of British India (1817–18)
his son, John Stuart. 1806–73, English philosopher and economist. He modified Bentham’s utilitarian philosophy in Utilitarianism (1861) and in his treatise On Liberty (1859) he defended the rights and freedom of the individual. Other works include A System of Logic (1843) and Principles of Political Economy (1848)
n.
v.

A prizefight: the night of the KO Kelly mill (1842+ Prizefighting)
A military prison or guardhouse (WWI armed forces)
A car or motorcycle engine: Has it got the magnum mill?/ They both chuckled and fired up their mills (1918+)
A car: A squirrel is a reckless driver of a mill (automobile) (1950s+ Teenagers)
A locomotive (1925+ Railroad)
A typewriter (1919+ Newspaper office)

see:

grist for the mill
mills of the gods grind slowly
run of the mill
through the mill
tilt at windmills