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gills

 [gil]   Origin

gill

1   [gil]
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.
ground ivy.
verb (used with object)
4.
to gut or clean (fish).

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Gills is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
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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.
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English gile < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse gjǫlnar < *gelnō; cognate with Swed gäl, Danish gælle, Norwegian gjelle gill

Related forms
gill-less, adjective
gill-like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

gill

2   [jil]
noun
a unit of liquid measure equal to 1/4 pint (118.2937 ml).
Origin:
1225–75; Middle English gille < Old French: vat, tub < Late Latin gello, gillo water pot

gill

3   [gil]
noun British.
1.
a deep rocky cleft or wooded ravine forming the course of a stream.
2.
a stream; brook; rivulet.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English gille < Old Norse gil

gill

4   [jil]
noun
a girl or young woman; sweetheart.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English gil(le) generic use of Gil(le), short form of Gillian; see Gillian

gill

5   [gil] 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.
Origin:
1830–40; perhaps special use of gill1

Gill

   [gil for 1; jil for 2]
noun
1.
a male given name.
2.
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To gills
Collins
World English Dictionary
gills (ɡɪlz)
 
—pl n
1.  (sometimes singular) the wattle of birds such as domestic fowl
2.  informal green around the gills, green about the gills looking or feeling nauseated

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

Gill
fem. proper name, see Jill.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
gill   (gĭl)  Pronunciation Key 


(click for larger image in new window)

  1. The organ that enables most aquatic animals to take dissolved oxygen from the water. It consists of a series of membranes that have many small blood vessels. Oxygen passes into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide passes out of it as water flows across the membranes.

  2. One of the thin strips of tissue on the underside of the cap of many species of basidiomycete fungi. Gills produce the spore-bearing structures known as basidia.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

gills

see fed to the gills; green about the gills.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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