Origin and history of drill

drill(n.1)

"tool for making holes in hard substances," 1610s, from Dutch dril, drille "a hole, instrument for boring holes," from drillen "to bore (a hole), turn around, whirl," from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn."

also from 1610s

drill(n.2)

"small furrow; trench or channel in which seeds are deposited," 1727; also "machine for sowing seeds" (1731), from obsolete drill "rill, trickling stream" (1640s), which is of unknown origin; perhaps connected to drill (n.1).

also from 1727

drill(n.3)

also drilling, kind of coarse, stout twilled cloth, 1743, from French drill, from German drillich "heavy, coarse cotton or linen fabric," from Old High German adjective drilich "threefold," from Latin trilix (genitive trilicis) "having three threads, triple-twilled," from tri- (see tri-) + licium "thread," a word of unknown etymology. So called in reference to the method of weaving it.

also from 1743

drill(n.4)

"West African baboon species," 1640s, perhaps from a native word (compare mandrill).

also from 1640s

drill(v.1)

"pierce or make a hole in with a drill or similar tool," c. 1600 (implied in drilling), from Dutch drillen "to bore (a hole), turn around, whirl," from Proto-Germanic *thr- (source also of Middle High German drillen "to turn, round off, bore," Old English þyrel "hole"), from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn," with derivatives referring to twisting, boring, and drilling. Related: Drilled, drilling. Compare thrill, the native English form of the word. Drill-press "drilling machine for boring holes in metal" is by 1850.

also from c. 1600

drill(v.2)

"to instruct in military exercise," 1620s (a sense also found in Dutch drillen and the Danish and German cognates), probably from drill (v.1) on the notion of troops "turning" in maneuvers. Related: Drilled, drilling.

As a noun, "act of training soldiers in military tactics," 1630s; the extended sense of "the agreed-upon procedure" is by 1940. Drill-sergeant "non-commissioned officer who instructs soldiers in their duties and trains them in military movements" is by 1760. Drill-master "one who gives practical instructions in military tactics" is by 1766.

also from 1620s

Entries linking to drill

mandrill(n.)

"the largest, most hideous, and most ferocious of the baboons" [OED], 1744, perhaps ultimately from a West African language, but formed into the English components man (n.) + drill (n.4) "baboon," which is of West African origin. The earliest reference reports the name is what the animal was "called by the white men in this country [Sierra Leone], but why it is so called I know not, nor did I ever hear of the Name before, neither can those who call them so tell, except it be for their near Resemblance of a human Creature, though nothing at all like an Ape." [William Smith, "A New Voyage to Guinea"]. French mandrill, Spanish mandril seem to be from English.

thrill(v.)

early 14c. metathesis of Middle English thirlen "to pierce, perforate, penetrate," from Old English þyrlian, þyrelian "perforate, pierce," from þyrel "hole" (in Middle English, also "nostril"), with -el + þurh "through" (see through). Compare Middle High German dürchel "pierced, perforated."

The sense of "affect with a sudden penetration of emotions, move deeply" is from late 14c. The meaning "give a shivering, exciting feeling" is recorded by 1590s. The intransitive sense of "quiver, move tremulously" is from 1776, originally of sound or light. Related: Thrilled; thrilling.

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