▪ I. drilling, n.
(ˈdrɪlɪŋ)
[corruption of Ger. drillich, MHG. drilich, drilch threefold, ad. L. trilīcem (trilix), f. L. tri- three + līcium thrum, thread.]
A coarse twilled linen or cotton fabric used for summer clothing, etc. Also attrib.
| 1640 in Entick London (1766) II. 168 Gutting and spruce canvas drillinges. 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) I. ii. xiv. 61 Making sail-cloth, sheetings, ravenducks and drillings. 1861 P. B. Du Chaillu Equat. Afr. vi. 55 A blue drilling shirt. |
▪ II. drilling, ppl. a.
see after drill v.2, v.3
▪ III. ˈdrilling, vbl. n.1
see after drill v.2
▪ IV. drilling, vbl. n.2
(ˈdrɪlɪŋ)
[f. drill v.3]
1. Boring; perforation.
| 1698 Ballard in Phil. Trans. XX. 420 Bare drilling might be able to give a Polarity to a Drill. 1894 Labour Commission Gloss., Drilling, making holes in rails for the purpose of putting in bolts to fasten them to sleepers. |
2. Training in military evolutions. Also transf.
| 1639 Massinger Unnat. Combat iii. i, There being no war, nor hope of any, The only drilling is to eat devoutly. a 1687 Petty Pol. Arith. (1690) 17 Training and Drilling is a small part of Soldiery. 1880 McCarthy Own Times IV. 127 Its oath of fidelity..its nightly drillings. |
3. attrib. and Comb.: a. in sense 1, as drilling-engine, drilling-machine, drilling-tool; drilling-bow = drill-bow (drill n.2 7 a); drilling-jig, -lathe (see quots.); drilling rig = rig n.6 3 a; drilling string: see string n. 15 b. b. in sense 2, as drilling-day, drilling-exercise.
| a. |
| 1851 Offic. Catal. Gt. Exhib. I. 246 Used by watch⁓makers..for the *drilling-bow. |
| 1832 Babbage Econ. Manuf. xix. (ed. 3) 172 The dividing and the *drilling-engine are of this kind. |
| 1874 Knight Dict. Mech., *Drilling-jig, a portable drilling-machine which may be dogged to the work, or so handled as to be readily presented to it and worked by hand. |
| Ibid., *Drilling-lathe, a drilling-machine on horizontal ways or shears, thus resembling a lathe. |
| 1865 Gesner Pract. Treat. Coal, Petrol., etc (ed. 2) 34 *Drilling machines which can bore nine feet per hour. |
| 1901 J. G. McIntosh tr. Neuburger & Noalhat's Technol. Petroleum xxx. 396 (caption) Rotary oil-well *drilling rig for shallow depths. 1933 Petroleum Handbk. (Shell Internat. Petroleum Co.) iii. 36 The drilling rig consists of a multiple speed hoisting unit called the ‘draw works’ and a rotary machine for turning the drill-pipe. 1976 M. Machlin Pipeline i. 23 Red flames..lighting up the sky in the direction of the Alamo Oil Company drilling rig. |
| b. a 1625 Fletcher Love's Cure iii. ii, I..gave him..In the artillery yard three drilling daies. 1870 Whitney Germ. Gram. Suppl. 3 Drilling exercises upon individual difficulties of German idiom. |