Gills — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun phrase /ˈgil/ (verb) /ˈjil/ (noun)

Meaning & Definition of Gills

Gills (verb)

  1. gillnet
  2. to become entangled in a gill net

Gills (noun)

  1. a unit of liquid capacity equal to four fluid ounces
  2. an organ (as of a fish) for obtaining oxygen from water
  3. wattle
  4. the flesh under or about the chin or jaws —usually plural
  5. ravine
  6. a narrow stream or rivulet
  7. girl, sweetheart

Gills (phrase)

  1. pale or sickly in appearance
  2. as full or as much as possible

Gills (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a female romantic companion

    "every Jack must have his Gill"

    similar: gals, girlfriends, girls, inamoratas, ladies, ladyloves, old ladies, women
    related: mistresses, molls, beloveds, darlings, dears, favorites, flames, honeys, lovers, loves, significant others, sweethearts, sweets, valentines

  2. a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage

    "a narrow gill in the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District"

    similar: canyons, cols, couloirs, defiles, flumes, gaps, gorges, gulches, gulfs, kloofs (South African), linns (chiefly Scottish), notches, passes, ravines, saddles
    related: abysses, chasms, cirques, clefts, crevasses, crevices, cwms (chiefly British), fissures, combes (British), dales, dells, glens, hollows, shut-ins, vales, valleys, basins, floodplains, kettles, arroyos, barrancas, coulees, draws, gullies, gutters, nullahs, trenches, troughs, wadis, washes (West)

  3. a natural body of running water smaller than a river

    "a narrow but surprisingly deep gill runs the length of the rocky gorge"

    similar: becks (British), bourns, brooklets, brooks, burns (British), creeks, rills, rivulets, runlets, runnels, runs (chiefly Midland), streamlets
    related: arroyos, billabongs (Australian), freshes, freshets, runoffs, bayous, coulees, sloughs, streams, washes, canals, channels, cutoffs, cuts, guts, kills, millraces, millstreams, races, watercourses, waterways, affluents, branches, confluents, distributaries, influents, tributaries

Related Entry: Gill (noun)

Gill is a different word from Gills. The synonyms below are for gill, not for gills.

  1. a female romantic companion

    "every Jack must have his Gill"

    similar: gal, girl, girlfriend, inamorata, lady, ladylove, old lady, woman
    related: mistress, moll, beloved, darling, dear, favorite, flame, honey, love, lover, significant other, sweet, sweetheart, valentine

Related Entry: Gill (noun)

Gill is a different word from Gills. The synonyms below are for gill, not for gills.

  1. a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage

    "a narrow gill in the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District"

    similar: canyon, col, couloir, defile, flume, gap, gorge, gulch, gulf, kloof (South African), linn (chiefly Scottish), notch, pass, ravine, saddle
    related: abyss, chasm, cirque, cleft, crevasse, crevice, cwm (chiefly British), fissure, combe (British), dale, dell, glen, hollow, shut-in, vale, valley, basin, floodplain, kettle, arroyo, barranca, coulee, draw, gully, gutter, nullah, trench, trough, wadi, wash (West)

  2. a natural body of running water smaller than a river

    "a narrow but surprisingly deep gill runs the length of the rocky gorge"

    similar: beck (British), bourn, brook, brooklet, burn (British), creek, rill, rivulet, run (chiefly Midland), runlet, runnel, streamlet
    related: arroyo, billabong (Australian), fresh, freshet, runoff, bayou, coulee, slough, stream, wash, canal, channel, cut, cutoff, gut, kill, millrace, millstream, race, watercourse, waterway, affluent, branch, confluent, distributary, influent, tributary

Related Entry: Green (adjective)

Green is a different word from Gills. The synonyms below are for green, not for gills.

  1. covered with a thick, healthy natural growth

    "fields green with meadow grass"

    similar: grown, leafy, lush, luxuriant, overgrown, verdant
    related: fat, fecund, fertile, fruitful, productive, prolific, rich, dense, tangled
    opposite: barren, leafless
    near: bleak, depleted, impoverished, infertile, poor, stark, unproductive, arid, dead, desert, dry, parched, sere, waterless

  2. lacking in adult experience or maturity

    "a new pitcher who's pretty green, even by rookie standards"

    similar: adolescent, callow, immature, inexperienced, juvenile, puerile, raw, unfledged, unformed, unripe, unripened, wet behind the ears
    related: babyish, childish, infantile, infantilized, infantine, boyish, girlish, juvenescent, kiddish, young, youngish, youthful, maidenly, virginal, ingenuous, innocent, naive, tender, unknowing, unseasoned, unsophisticated, untrained, untried
    opposite: adult, experienced, grown-up, mature, ripe
    near: advanced, precocious, knowing, savvy, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise

  3. lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment

    "in spite of her age, she's still green enough to be hoodwinked by fast-talking scammers"

    similar: aw-shucks, dewy, dewy-eyed, ingenuous, innocent, naïf, naive, primitive, simple, simpleminded, uncritical, unknowing, unsophisticated, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, unworldly, wide-eyed
    related: callow, childish, immature, inexperienced, raw, childlike, idealistic, impractical, unrealistic, believing, credulous, gullible, susceptible, trustful, trusting, unguarded, beguiled, duped, gulled, tricked, careless, heedless, thoughtless
    opposite: cosmopolitan, experienced, knowing, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise
    near: critical, cynical, doubting, incredulous, skeptical, suspecting, suspicious, unconvinced, careful, cautious, guarded, leery, wary, watchful, down-to-earth, hardheaded, pragmatic, realistic, sober, street-smart, streetwise

Related Entry: Greenness (noun)

Greenness is a different word from Gills. The synonyms below are for greenness, not for gills.

  1. the quality or state of being simple and sincere

    "was charmed by her genteel greenness and childlike innocence"

    similar: artlessness, guilelessness, ingenuousness, innocence, naiveness, naïveté, naivety (chiefly British), naturalness, simplemindedness, simpleness, simplicity, unsophistication, unworldliness, viridity
    related: candor, frankness, genuineness, honesty, openness, sincerity, straightforwardness, unaffectedness, unpretentiousness, callowness, childishness, coltishness, inexperience, rawness, insularity, parochialism, provincialism, carelessness, heedlessness, thoughtlessness, ignorance, obliviousness, unawareness, credulity, credulousness, gullibility, impressionability, idealism, impracticality, optimism
    opposite: artfulness, cynicism, knowingness, sophistication, worldliness
    near: affectedness, artificiality, pretentiousness, deviousness, dishonesty, insincerity, disbelief, doubtfulness, incredulity, suspiciousness, carefulness, caution, street smarts, wariness, pessimism, skepticism, maturity

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Gills

The most common words with a similar meaning to Gills:

British: becks, burns
South African: kloofs
Chiefly Scottish: linns
Chiefly Midland: runs
gals, girlfriends, girls, inamoratas, ladies, ladyloves, old ladies, women, canyons, cols, couloirs, defiles, flumes, gaps, gorges, gulches, gulfs, notches, passes, ravines, saddles, bourns, brooklets, brooks, creeks, rills, rivulets, runlets, runnels, streamlets

Related Words for Gills

mistresses, molls, beloveds, darlings, dears, favorites, flames, honeys, lovers, loves, significant others, sweethearts, sweets, valentines, abysses, chasms, cirques, clefts, crevasses, crevices, cwms, fissures, combes, dales, dells, glens, hollows, shut-ins, vales, valleys

Word Forms of Gills

Inflections: gilled, gilling

Derived words: giller (noun), gilled (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Gills

Middle English gille, from Medieval Latin gillus, from Late Latin gillo, gello water pot

First known use: 1884t

Words & Phrases Containing Gills

green around the gills, to the gills

Frequently Asked Questions about Gills

What does "Gills" mean?

"Gills" means gillnet. As an a verb, a noun and a phrase, it is defined as: gillnet. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Gills"?

Other words for "Gills" include gals, girlfriends, girls, inamoratas, ladies, ladyloves, old ladies and women. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Gills" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Gills"?

There are 103 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Gills". Common alternatives include gals, girlfriends, girls, inamoratas, ladies, ladyloves, old ladies, women, canyons and cols.

How do you use "Gills" in a sentence?

Examples of "Gills" in a sentence: "every Jack must have his Gill"; "a narrow gill in the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District"; "a narrow but surprisingly deep gill runs the length of the rocky gorge".

Is "Gills" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Gills" can be used as a verb, a noun and a phrase, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Gills"?

"Gills" is pronounced /ˈgil/ as a verb and /ˈjil/ as a noun.

What is the origin of the word "Gills"?

"Gills" comes from Middle English gille, from Medieval Latin gillus, from Late Latin gillo, gello water pot. First known use: 1884t.

What is another word for "Gills" meaning "a female romantic companion"?

When "Gills" (noun) means a female romantic companion, synonyms include gals, girlfriends, girls, inamoratas, ladies and ladyloves.