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Gill Very Common

Gill has 14 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a British imperial capacity unit (liquid or dry) equal to 5 fluid ounces or 142.066 cubic centimeters

"The recipe called for exactly two gills of heavy cream, which is half a pint in the old British system."

2

a United States liquid unit equal to 4 fluid ounces

"The chef measured out exactly two gills of cream to finish the sauce."

3

any of the radiating leaflike spore-producing structures on the underside of the cap of a mushroom or similar fungus

"The mycologist carefully inspected the gills beneath the mushroom cap to identify its species."

4

respiratory organ of aquatic animals that breathe oxygen dissolved in water

"The goldfish uses its gills to extract oxygen from the surrounding water."

5

a breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals

"The local pub was packed with true gills celebrating their team's victory in the promotion playoff."

6

a drink measure for spirits and wine (size varies regionally but it is about one quarter of a pint)

7

rivulet

8

a two-wheeled frame for transporting timber

9

a leech

10

a female ferret

11

Someone connected with Gillingham Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc.

In plain English: A "gill" is a supporter or member of the Gillingham football team.

"As a lifelong Gill, she's been following Gillingham since she was a little girl."

Usage: Use "gill" to refer specifically to the breathing organs of fish or, in British contexts, as a unit for measuring spirits. Do not confuse this term with general measures like a pint when discussing alcohol volume outside regional traditions.

Verb
1

To remove the gills from a fish as part of gutting and cleaning it.

"She was accused of gilling in the dimly lit alley behind the theater."

2

To act as a prostitute.

In plain English: To "gill" means to earn money by providing sexual services.

"The police suspected she was willing to gill for extra money."

Proper Noun
1

A diminutive of the male given names Giles, Julian, or William, of medieval usage.

"The old manuscript records a gill who served as a scribe in the twelfth century."

Example Sentences
"As a lifelong Gill, she's been following Gillingham since she was a little girl." noun
"The police suspected she was willing to gill for extra money." verb
"She gilled the fish before cooking it for dinner." verb
"The chef quickly gilled the trout while waiting for guests." verb
"He gilled the salmon to prepare the meal efficiently." verb
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)

Origin

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"), from Proto-Indo-European gʰel-, which would make it root-cognate to Ancient Greek χελύνη (khelúnē, "lip, jaw"), χεῖλος (kheîlos, "lip").

Rhyming Words
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