miller

Meaning

1. A person who owns or operates a mill, especially a flourmill.
2. (dated) A milling machine.
3. Any of several moths that have powdery wings, especially Acronicta leporina and moths of the genus Agrotis.
4. A floury-smelling mushroom, Clitopilus prunulus.
5. (UK, archaic, slang) A rat.

Synonyms

milling machine

moth

moth miller

milling-machine operator

sweetbread mushroom

meal grinder

mill operator

mill hand

miller moth

maiden ray

thorny back

milling machine operator

milling machine unit

Miller

poplar dagger moth

mill-owner

router

sawmill

thornback

Translations

meunier

molinero

Müller

mugnaio

molenaar

μυλωνάς

mulder

moleiro

moliner

moedor

mulinaro

fraiseuse

fresatrice

طحان

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɪlɚ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: myllere

Inherited from Old English: *mylnere

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Muller

Cognate with Dutch: mulder

Cognate with German: Müller

Cognate with Danish: møller

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: møller

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: mylnar

Cognate with Swedish: mjölnare

Cognate with Icelandic: mylnari

In summary

From Middle English myllere, mellere, from earlier mylnere, possibly from an Old English *mylnere, from Proto-West Germanic *mulīnārī (“miller”), equivalent to mill + -er; cf. also Late Latin molīnārius (“miller”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Muller, Dutch mulder, molenaar, German Low German Möller, German Müller, Müllner, Danish møller, Norwegian Bokmål møller, Norwegian Nynorsk mylnar, møllar, Swedish mjölnare, Icelandic mylnari.
Compare also Middle English milward, mulward (“miller”), from Old English mylenweard (“miller”, literally “mill-keeper”) (> English Millward (surname)).