mill

Meaning

Noun

1. A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.
2. The building housing such a grinding apparatus; also, any similar building that houses a similarly material activity (such as weaving, fulling, dying, etc.); the place of business comprising such a building and its outbuildings and grounds.
3. A machine used for expelling the juice, sap, etc., from vegetable tissues by pressure, or by pressure in combination with a grinding, or cutting process.
4. A machine for grinding and polishing.
5. A milling machine for machining of solid metal, wood, or plastic.
6. A milling cutter used on such a machine.
7. A manufacturing plant for paper, steel, textiles, flooring, and some other kinds of materials.
8. The building complex housing such a plant; the place of business comprising such buildings and their grounds.
9. (derogatory, figuratively, usually) An establishment that handles a certain type of situation or procedure routinely, or produces large quantities of an item without much regard to quality. (The notion of churning out massive amounts indiscriminately underlies the figurative metaphor.)
10. (derogatory, figuratively) An institution or pseudo-institutional business awarding credentials (such as diplomas, degrees, certificates, or certifications) of either dubious value or fraudulent nature; one selling essays or other documents for the buyers (usually students) to fraudulently pass off as their own.
11. (informal) An engine.
12. (archaic, informal) A boxing match or fistfight.
13. A hardened steel roller with a design in relief, used for imprinting a reversed copy of the design in a softer metal, such as copper.
14. An excavation in rock, transverse to the workings, from which material for filling is obtained.
15. A passage underground through which ore is shot.
16. The raised or ridged edge or surface made in milling anything, such as a coin or screw.
17. (historical) A prison treadmill.
18. (US, World-War-I, slang) A military prison, either guardhouse or post prison.
19. (World-War-I, slang) A delousing station: a cootie mill.
20. A typewriter used to transcribe messages received.

Verb

1. (transitive) To grind or otherwise process in a mill or other machine.
2. (transitive) To shape, polish, dress or finish using a machine.
3. (transitive) To engrave one or more grooves or a pattern around the edge of (a cylindrical object such as a coin).
4. (intransitive, usually) To move about in an aimless fashion.
5. (transitive) To cause to mill, or circle around.
6. To swim underwater.
7. To swim suddenly in a new direction.
8. (slang, transitive) To beat; to pound.
9. To pass through a fulling mill; to full, as cloth.
10. (transitive) To roll (steel, etc.) into bars.
11. (transitive) To make (drinking chocolate) frothy, as by churning.
12. (intransitive) To undergo hulling.
13. (intransitive, slang) To take part in a fistfight; to box.
14. (transitive) To fill (a winze or interior incline) with broken ore, to be drawn out at the bottom.
15. (UK, obsolete) To commit burglary.

Verb

1. (transitive) To move (a card) from a deck to the discard pile.
2. (transitive) To destroy (a card) due to having a full hand.

Synonyms

factory

🏭

grind

plant

🌱

works

manufactory

grinder

workshop

crush

pound

💷

millstones

manufacturing plant

mill about

pulverization

pulverisation

mill around

crumble

milling

milling machinery

gristmill

watermill

mash

quern

look round

elaborate

clew

knock about

knurl

laminate

jag

machine

eggbeater

indent

prowl

crushing

chip

bench

pounder

notch

grinding machine

mullet

millstone

milling machine

grater

chewing

milling cutter

go about

millimeter

meal

get around

crowd

Translations

moulin

Mühle

molino

mulino

molen

Fabrik

🌱

μύλος

moudre

fábrica

🏭

usine

🏭

moinho

fabriek

🏭

fabbrica

🏭

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mɪl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mylne

Inherited from Old English: mylen

Cognate with English: millstone

In summary

From Middle English mylne, mille, from Old English mylen, from Proto-West Germanic *mulīnu (“mill”), from Late Latin molīna, molīnum, molīnus (“mill”), from Latin molō (“grind, mill”, verb), closely allied to Proto-Germanic *muljaną (“to crush, grind”) (see English millstone). Perhaps cognate with Milne (a surname). Doublet of moline, moulin, and blin.

Sentences

He built a water-powered cotton mill , and a reservoir to power the wheels .