mill

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mill¹

  • /mɪl/
  • [mɪɫ] UK, US
  • [mɪo̯]
  • [mɪʊ̯]

Sounds like mil · Rhymes with -ɪl

Where it comes from

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.

noun mills · miln

  1. A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc. (Some are small and simple, and some are large and complex.) Pepper has a stronger flavor when it is ground straight from a mill.
  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. My great-grandfather worked in a mill. He filled the flour sacks and then carried and loaded them.
  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; any similar apparatus that otherwise processes. a cider mill; a cane mill
  4. A machine for grinding and polishing. a lapidary mill
  5. A milling machine for machining of solid metal, wood, or plastic. Several machinists were busy operating the lathes, mills, and drill presses on the shop floor.
  6. A milling cutter used on such a machine. After the drilling and tapping operations, we come in with a mill and do some contouring.
  7. A manufacturing plant for paper, steel, textiles, flooring, and some other kinds of materials. Once the billet gets through the 56-inch mill, it is ready for reheating.
  8. The building complex housing such a plant; the place of business comprising such buildings and their grounds. My grandfather worked in a mill. He operated machinery, did maintenance, and drove forklifts.

    Similar: factory, works

  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.) Those shysters selling the purebreds are running quite a mill over there, eh?
  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. Those shysters cranking out the "IT training certificates" are running quite a mill over there, eh?
  11. informal An engine. Under the hood is a mill that you and I can't afford — a nitrous-blown hemi with custom heads.
  12. archaic, informal A boxing match or fistfight. They were betting big on a great mill, but they didn't realize that the fix was in.
  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. They pulled me off the main crew and had me digging in the mill.
  15. A passage underground through which ore is shot. Near-synonym: country

    Similar: country

  16. The raised or ridged edge or surface made in milling anything, such as a coin or screw.

    Similar: milling

  17. historical A prison treadmill. They kept us in line by threatening to put us on the mill twice as long if we complained.
  18. US, World War I, slang A military prison, either guardhouse or post prison. He spent some time in the mill after that escapade.
  19. World War I, slang A delousing station: a cootie mill.
  20. A typewriter used to transcribe messages received. In other words, get a mill in your operating position by hook or crook and use it regularly. At the N.C.R. Radio Schools touch typing is taught at the same time code proficiency is advanced.

verb mills · milling · milled

  1. transitive To grind or otherwise process in a mill or other machine. to mill flour
  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, followed by around To move about in an aimless fashion. I didn't have much to do, so I just milled around the town looking at the shops.

    Similar: roam, wander

  5. transitive To cause to mill, or circle around. to mill cattle
  6. of air breathing creatures To swim underwater.
  7. of a whale To swim suddenly in a new direction, or to circle around. ‘They’ve lanced him,’ George said with obvious relief. ‘He’s milling.’ ‘He’s what?’ the sailor asked. ‘Milling. Going round in a circle.’
  8. slang, transitive To beat; to pound. Ortheris said nothing for a while. Then he unslung his belt, heavy with the badges of half a dozen regiments that his own had lain with, and handed it over to Mulvaney. "I'm too little for to mill you, Mulvaney," said he, "an' you've strook me before; but you can take an' cut me in two with this 'er
  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. This maize mills well.
  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. Ben mort, shall you and I heave a bough, mill a ken, or nip a bung, and then we'll couch a hogshead under the ruffmans, and there you shall wap with me, and I'll niggle with you.

mill²

  • /mɪl/
  • [mɪɫ] UK, US
  • [mɪo̯]
  • [mɪʊ̯]

Sounds like mil · Rhymes with -ɪl

Where it comes from

Ultimately from Latin mīllēsimum. The clipping comes by way of the clipped word, millimetre.

noun mills

  1. One thousandth of a US dollar, one-hundredth of a dime or one-tenth of a cent. Holonyms: cent < dollar

    Similar: millesimal

  2. One thousandth part in millage rates of property tax. They predict that the rate will probably go up by several mills next year.

    Similar: millesimal

  3. alternative Alternative form of mil (“one thousandth of an inch”). For this task, I prefer the plastic sheeting that is 10 mills thick.

    Similar: millesimal, thou

  4. abbreviation, clipping, informal Clipping of millimeter For this task, I prefer the plastic bars that are 10 mills in diameter.

    Similar: millesimal, mm

  5. abbreviation, clipping, informal Clipping of milliliter

    Similar: millesimal, ml

mill³

  • /mɪl/
  • [mɪɫ] UK, US
  • [mɪo̯]
  • [mɪʊ̯]

Sounds like mil · Rhymes with -ɪl

noun mill

  1. alternative, informal Alternative form of mil (“million”).

mill⁴

  • /mɪl/
  • [mɪɫ] UK, US
  • [mɪo̯]
  • [mɪʊ̯]

Sounds like mil · Rhymes with -ɪl

noun mills

  1. A line of three matching pieces in nine men's morris and related games.

mill⁵

  • /mɪl/
  • [mɪɫ] UK, US
  • [mɪo̯]
  • [mɪʊ̯]

Sounds like mil · Rhymes with -ɪl

Where it comes from

Back-formation from millstone, name of a Magic: The Gathering card with this effect (first printed 1994).

verb mills · milling · milled · Mill

  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. what happens when a Quest Rogue uses Vanish and Malygos gets milled?

    Similar: burn

noun mills · Mill

  1. countable, uncountable Discarding a card from one's deck. he’s had some fairly infamous mills in other events. Back in 2017’s Spring Championships, he burned the crucial Archmage Antonidas
  2. countable, uncountable A strategy centered on depleting the opponent's deck. Kingsane ^([sic – meaning Kingsbane]) Rogue will forever have a negative connotation attached to it because it began as a mill deck, and mill is one of the most tilt-inducing strategies in fantasy card games.

Mill⁶

Rhymes with -ɪl

proper noun

  1. A surname.
  2. John Stuart Mill, English libertarian and utilitarian philosopher. I have endeavoured to acquire a knowledge of the Hare system, and I have read Mill upon the subject, and it seems to me that the present proposal is opposed to that system.
  3. A village in North Brabant, Netherlands.
  4. An unincorporated community in Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: pulverisation, pulverization, grind, factory, manufactory, mill around, grinder, mill about, manufacturing plant, sawmill, shredder, steelworks, smelter, drill, sawing, refinery

Translations

Every language

noun building housing a manufacturing plant

Españolfábrica
Portuguêsfábrica
Françaismanufacture
DeutschFabrik, Werk, Papiermühle
Ελληνικάεργοστάσιο ergostásio
Русскийфа́брика fábrika, заво́д zavód
עבריתטַחֲנָה takhaná

noun grinding apparatus

Españolmolino
한국어방아 bang'a, 방앗간 bang'atgan, 제분소 jebunso
日本語粉砕機 funsaiki, ミル miru, 製粉所 seifunjo
中文磨坊 mòfāng, 磨機 /磨机 mójī, 粉碎機 /粉碎机 fěnsuìjī
हिन्दीचक्की cakkī
Portuguêsmoenda, moinho
Françaismoulin
DeutschMühle, Mahlwerk
Italianomulino, macinatoio, mola, macina
Ελληνικάμύλος mýlos, αλεστική μηχανή alestikí michaní
Românămoară
Русскийме́льница mélʹnica, дроби́лка drobílka
Tiếng Việtcối xay
العربيةمَطْحَنَة maṭḥana
עבריתטַחֲנָה takhaná

noun building housing a grinding apparatus

Españolmolino
한국어방앗간 bang'atgan
日本語製粉所 seifunjo
中文磨坊 mòfāng
हिन्दीचक्की cakkī
Portuguêsmoinho
Françaismoulin
DeutschMühle
Italianomulino
Ελληνικάμύλος mýlos
Românămoară
Русскийме́льница mélʹnica

noun machine for grinding and polishing

Françaisfraiseuse
Русскийфреза́ frezá

noun manufacturing plant

Españolfábrica
한국어공장 gongjang
日本語工場 kōjō
中文工廠 /工厂 gōngchǎng
हिन्दीमिल mil, कारख़ाना kārxānā
Portuguêsfábrica, manufatura
Françaismanufacture, usine, fabrique
DeutschFabrik, Werk n Papiermühle
Italianomulino, macinatoio
Ελληνικάεργοστάσιο ergostásio
Русскийфа́брика fábrika, заво́д zavód
עבריתטַחֲנָה takhaná

noun establishment that handles a certain type of situation routinely

עבריתטַחֲנָה takhaná

verb grind or process using a mill or other machine

Españolmoler
日本語挽く hiku
中文磨 mó, 粉碎 fěnsuì
Portuguêsmoer
Françaismoudre
Deutschmahlen
Românămăcina
Русскиймоло́ть molótʹ, смоло́ть smolótʹ
العربيةطَحَن ṭaḥan

verb shape, polish, etc, using a machine

Españolpulir, fresar
Portuguêsfresar
Françaisfraiser

verb engrave groove around the edge of

Italianoorlettare

verb move about in an aimless fashion

Españolvagar

noun coin

中文文

noun strategy

日本語ミル miru

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"mill." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/mill. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

mill. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/mill

Chicago

"mill." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/mill.

BibTeX
@misc{mill_2026,
  title = {mill},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/mill},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}