What does "dill" mean?
Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.
Dill
/dɪl/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.
- Grammar: dill is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: anethum, anethum graveolens, aromatic herb, aromatic seeds.
- Usage evidence: Borscht is often garnished with dill and sour cream.
How to use "dill"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dill" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dill" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dill" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dill" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dill" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anethum" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dill", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed. countable, uncountable
"The life of one plant would be affected by another. Rue was definitely hostile to basil, rosemary to hyssop, but coriander, dill and chervil lived on the friendliest of terms[.]"
- 2 A fool. Australia, informal
"He could go over and monster his way among the poms, but he was that drunk he'd probably only make a dill of himself."
- 3 aromatic threadlike foliage of the dill plant used as seasoning wordnet
- 4 A cucumber pickled with dill flavoring. countable, uncountable
- 5 aromatic Old World herb having aromatic threadlike foliage and seeds used as seasoning wordnet
Verb
- 1 To cook or flavor with dill.
"My mother would pickle them and dill them, and we still had an abundance of fresh vegetables left."
- 2 To still; to assuage; to calm; to soothe, as one in pain.
"The noise of the Queen's voyage to France is dilled down ; no money for her furniture will be got in haste; and the Cardinal has no will of her mother."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Borscht is often garnished with dill and sour cream."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dill"?
Common synonyms include: anethum, anethum graveolens, aromatic herb, aromatic seeds, condiment, culinary herb.
How do you use "dill" in a sentence?
Borscht is often garnished with dill and sour cream.
How do you pronounce "dill"?
Pronounced /dɪl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English dile, from Old English dile (“dill, anise”); from Proto-Germanic *deliz, of uncertain, probably non-Indo-European origin, possibly a west European substrate. Cognate with Old Saxon dilli, Dutch dille, Swedish dill, German Dill.
Etymology 2
Variant of dull
Etymology 3
Perhaps a backformation from dilly (“silly”).
Etymology 4
* As a German surname, from Diele (“floorboard”). * As an English surname, from the noun dill and also the adjective dull. * As a Scottish/Scottish Gaelic surname, reduced from McDill, itself a variant of McDowell.