British
1
as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
a narrow gill in the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in brook
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
a narrow but surprisingly deep gill runs the length of the rocky gorge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gill
Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
These are diminutive soft-bodied crustaceans that live in an oyster’s gills.
—Jennifer Hope Choi, Bon Appétit, 13 Dec. 2024
The final push for freedom involved coiling their bodies to extract their head from the gill.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Sep. 2024
Envelopes stuffed to the gills with records of all our purchases over the last nine months.
—Allbusiness, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gill 
Noun
The skeleton-like lines of this new sea squirt are actually blood vessels that run through the sea squirt's gills, the researchers say.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
These are diminutive soft-bodied crustaceans that live in an oyster’s gills.
—Jennifer Hope Choi, Bon Appétit, 13 Dec. 2024
The final push for freedom involved coiling their bodies to extract their head from the gill.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Sep. 2024
Envelopes stuffed to the gills with records of all our purchases over the last nine months.
—Allbusiness, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gill
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Cite this Entry
“Gill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gill. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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