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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gill
Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
When chemicals from oil dissolve into the water column, water-breathing animals such as fish absorb them through their gills and corals absorb them directly through their tissues.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
The clams shunt sulfur- and oxygen-rich water to bacteria that live inside the clams’ gills.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
The water gets absorbed into their intestines, but the salt is transported from their blood to cells in the gills, which then push that salt back into the sea.
—Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gill
Noun
Some have gills, some have lungs; some lay eggs, some don’t; some eat seaweed, some eat other fish.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
When chemicals from oil dissolve into the water column, water-breathing animals such as fish absorb them through their gills and corals absorb them directly through their tissues.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
The clams shunt sulfur- and oxygen-rich water to bacteria that live inside the clams’ gills.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
The water gets absorbed into their intestines, but the salt is transported from their blood to cells in the gills, which then push that salt back into the sea.
—Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gill
Cite this Entry
“Gill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gill. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
