# drilling

/ˈdɹɪɫɪŋ/ (US) · /dɹˈɪlɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drilling
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. making holes

noun · CEFR B2

the act of making a hole in a hard surface like wood, metal, or the ground.

For teachers: the mechanical process of boring a hole into a solid material or the earth, typically for construction or resource extraction.

- The loud sound of drilling from the construction site next door made it hard to sleep.
- Offshore drilling for oil remains a controversial topic due to the potential environmental impact on marine ecosystems.

### 2. repeated practice

noun · CEFR B2

a way of learning or training by doing the same thing many times.

For teachers: a method of training or teaching through the constant repetition of specific exercises or tasks to ensure automaticity.

- The coach spent the afternoon drilling the players on their passing skills.
- Language teachers often use repetitive drilling to help students internalise difficult grammatical structures or pronunciation patterns.

### 4. heavy fabric

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a very strong, thick cloth often used for work clothes or uniforms.

For teachers: a durable, heavy-weight twilled cotton or linen fabric, frequently utilised in the manufacture of military uniforms and workwear.

- The workers wore heavy drilling trousers to protect their legs from scratches.
- The historical costume was reconstructed using authentic cotton drilling to match the texture of nineteenth-century military attire.

## Examples

- The noise from the drilling kept me awake all morning.
- The company began offshore drilling last month to search for new oil reserves under the seabed.
- Environmental groups expressed concern that the proposed deep-sea drilling would disrupt fragile marine ecosystems and lead to irreversible biodiversity loss in the region.

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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.