gill

Meaning

Noun

1. A breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals.
2. A gill slit or gill cover.
3. One of the radial folds on the underside of the cap of a mushroom, the surface of which bears the spore-producing organs.
4. The fleshy flap that hangs below the beak of a fowl; a wattle.
5. The flesh under or about the chin; a wattle.
6. One of the combs of closely ranged steel pins which divide the ribbons of flax fiber or wool into fewer parallel filaments.

Verb

1. To remove the gills from a fish as part of gutting and cleaning it.
2. To catch (a fish) in a gillnet.
3. To be or become entangled in a gillnet.

Verb

To act as a prostitute.

Synonyms

branchia

lamella

gills

wattle

lappet

ravine

rib

shutter

tun

zel

zill

branchiae

back-fold

luffer boards

back-shutter

back-flap

cheek

jalousie

jowl

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡɪl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: gille

Cognate with Danish: gælle

Cognate with Swedish: gäl

Cognate with Norwegian: gjelle

Cognate with Old Norse: gjǫlnar

Cognate with Ancient Greek: χελύνη

In summary

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.