pill¹ Definition
pill (pil)
noun
- a small ball, tablet, capsule, etc. of medicine to be swallowed whole
- anything unpleasant but unavoidable
- something like a pill in shape
- Slang a baseball, golf ball, etc.
- Slang an unpleasant or boring person
Etymology: LME pylle, contr. < L pilula, dim. of pila, a ball: see piles
transitive verb
- to dose with pills
- to form into pills
- Slang to blackball
intransitive verb
to form into small balls, as fuzz on a fabric
pill¹ Idioms
the pill
or the Pill☆ Informal any contraceptive drug for women, taken in the form of a pill
pill² Definition
pill (pil)
transitive verb, intransitive verb
- Archaic to pillage; plunder
- Now Brit., Dialectal to peel
Etymology: ME pilien, to rob, peel, ult. < ? L pilare, to make bald < pilus, a hair
pill Synonyms
pill
n.
A tablet
*A contraceptive tablet; usually with "the"
contraceptive pill, oral contraceptive, prophylactic; see contraceptive.
pill Usage Examples
Converse of object
- sweeten: Application of the rule may not wholly get rid of gains on two residences but it can sweeten the pill to a considerable extent.
- slim: Forget slimming pills, there is no quick fix remedy.
- swallow: Would Serbia ever swallow the bitter pill of independence for Kosovo without the prospect of EU membership for itself?
- sleep: Try not to take sleeping pills for longer than a night or two.
- prescribe: Your entire career may seem to rest upon a decision to resist prescribing the pill.
- dispense: She was met by a pharmacist who said his Catholic faith precluded his dispensing the pill.
Adjective modifier
- morning-after: Also, please check whether local teachers would like to receive further copies of SPUC's revised notes on the morning-after pill.
- contraceptive: Two special doses of a high dose contraceptive pill are taken exactly 12 hours apart.
- abortifacient: News, 30 April 2003 British nurses are calling for tighter regulations on how the abortifacient morning-after pill is handed out by pharmacists.
- progestogen-only: Alternatives to the pill include patches, injections, and implants, and the progestogen-only pill.
- bitter: There was, however, one bitter pill to swallow.
- combined: In conclusion, all combined oral contraceptive pills are equally safe.
Modifies a noun
- dispenser: The automatic pill dispenser will be sent by Royal Mail First Class Post.
- popper: Pill Poppers Do you have difficulty in removing pills from their packaging?
Noun used with modifier
- sleeping: Sleeping pills - a real ' Insomnia Cure ' ?
- diet: Information: Two very popular diet pills taken by millions of women have been linked to a serious heart ailment.
- poison: A vote to uphold the poison pill would help protect the Murdoch family from any threats to their long-term control.
- contraceptive: From the New Year, emergency contraceptive pills will be available over-the counter in chemists, it was reported today.
- ecstasy: Test results of over sixty ecstasy pills are included.
- 'persuasion: If you haven't already guessed it, these 'persuasion pills ' are in fact our Irresistible Influence Cards.
Browse dictionary entries near pill
- ‹ Pilipino
- ‹ piling
- ‹ piliform
- ‹ piliferous
- ‹ pili-
- ‹ pili
- ‹ pilgrimage
- ‹ Pilgrim's Progress
- ‹ Pilgrim Fathers
- ‹ pilgrim
- pill bug ›
- pillage ›
- pillar ›
- pillar box ›
- Pillars of Hercules ›
- pillbox ›
- pillion ›
- pillory ›
- pillow ›
- pillow block ›

