pill

pill · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*pil-?
2. Latinpilus?
3. Latinpila
4. Latinpilula, pillula
5. Middle Low Germanpille
6. Middle Dutchpille
7. Middle Englishpille
8. English todaypill

From Middle English pille (also pillem), a borrowing from Middle Low German pille or Middle Dutch pille (whence Dutch pil), probably from Latin pila, pilula. * (persuade or convince): Generalized from red pill.

pill · verb, noun²

1. Latin · derived frompilō“depilate”
2. Old English · inherited frompilian“to peel”
3. Middle English · inherited frompillen
4. English todaypill

From Middle English pillen, pilen, from Old English pilian (“to peel”), from Latin pilō (“depilate”), from pilus (“hair”). Doublet of peel.

pill · noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bl̥nos“bog, marsh”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*pullaz“pool, stream”
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*pullijaz“small pool, ditch, creek”
4. Old English · inherited frompyll“a pool, pill”
5. Middle English · inherited from*pill
6. English todaypill

From Middle English *pill, *pyll, from Old English pyll (“a pool, pill”), from Proto-Germanic *pullijaz (“small pool, ditch, creek”), diminutive of Proto-Germanic *pullaz (“pool, stream”), from Proto-Indo-European *bl̥nos (“bog, marsh”). Cognate with Old English pull (“pool, creek”), Scots poll (“slow moving stream, creek, inlet”), Icelandic pollur (“pond, pool, puddle”). More at pool.

Pill · proper noun⁴

1. English · derived frompill“tidal creek”
2. English todayPill

From the common Welsh placename element Pil meaning "tidal pool, harbor," itself borrowed from English pill (“tidal creek”).

Pill · proper noun⁵

English surname, both from the noun pill (originally "little ball") and from sense 3 (“inlet, tidal creek”).

Words from the same roots