# drill

/ˈdɹɪɫ/ (US) · /dɹˈɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drill
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a tool

noun · CEFR B1

a tool or machine with a rotating end used for making holes in hard materials.

For teachers: a handheld or stationary power tool used for boring holes in various materials by means of a rotating bit.

- He used an electric drill to hang the new shelves in the kitchen.
- The carpenter selected a high-torque drill to penetrate the dense oak beams without splintering the wood.

### 2. practice exercise

noun · CEFR B1

a regular activity or exercise that you repeat to learn a skill or prepare for an emergency.

For teachers: a repetitive training exercise designed to instill a specific skill or to prepare for emergency procedures through habituation.

- The school holds a fire drill every month so students know the exit routes.
- The coach insisted on a series of passing drills to ensure the players could maintain possession under heavy defensive pressure.

### 3. music genre

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a style of hip-hop music with dark, violent lyrics and a heavy beat.

For teachers: a subgenre of trap music characterized by dark, nihilistic lyrical content and distinct rhythmic patterns, originating in Chicago.

- He listens to a lot of UK drill while he is working out at the gym.
- The rise of drill music has sparked significant sociological debate regarding the relationship between urban art forms and local crime rates.

### 4. to make a hole

verb · CEFR B1

to make a hole in something using a special tool.

For teachers: to bore a hole into a solid surface by removing material with a rotating cutting instrument.

- They had to drill through the concrete wall to install the new pipes.
- Engineers plan to drill several exploratory wells to determine the extent of the underground reservoir.

### 5. to teach by repetition

verb · CEFR B2

to teach someone something by making them repeat it many times.

For teachers: to instruct or train someone through rigorous, repetitive exercise or persistent questioning.

- The teacher drilled the students on their multiplication tables every morning.
- The sergeant drilled the recruits for hours until their response to every command was instantaneous and precise.

### 6. to investigate

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic

to look into something very deeply to find more details.

For teachers: to investigate or examine a topic or data set in increasing levels of detail; often used with 'down'.

- We need to drill down into the sales figures to see why they are falling.
- The analyst decided to drill down into the regional data to identify specific market segments that were underperforming.

Usage: Often used as the phrasal verb 'drill down' followed by the preposition 'into'.

## Examples

- I need a power drill to hang these shelves.
- The school holds a fire drill every month so students know exactly where to go during an emergency.
- The sergeant led the recruits through a rigorous drill to ensure their movements were perfectly synchronized before the parade.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.