sill

CEFRC2

/sɪl/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    The horizontal base of a window or doorway.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A stratum of rock, especially an intrusive layer of igneous rock lying parallel to surrounding strata.

Examples

  • A large bird landed on the window sill.

  • Some birds alighted on the window sill.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A threshold; horizontal structural member of a building near ground level on a foundation or pilings, or lying on the ground, and bearing the upright portion of a frame; a sill plate.

  2. A breast wall; window breast; horizontal brink which forms the base of a window.

  3. A threshold or brink across the bottom of a canal lock for the gates to shut against.

More examples

In context

  • She looked out the window resting her elbows on the window sill.

  • the nasal sill

  • Minor palingenetic magmas probably were generated at this time and intruded the mantling rocks in the form of small sills and apophyses […].

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She placed the flower pot on the window blank to get sunlight.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English sille, selle, sülle, from Old English syll, syl (“sill, threshold, foundation, base, basis”), from Proto-Germanic *sulī (“bar, sill”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel-, *swel- (“beam, board, frame, threshold”). Cognate with Scots sil, sill (“balk, beam, floor, sill”), Dutch zulle (“sill”), Low German Sull, Sülle (“threshold, ramp, sill”), German Süll, Sülle (“threshold, sill”), Danish syld (“base of a framework building”), Swedish syll (“joist, cross-tie”), Norwegian syll, Icelandic syll, sylla (“sill”). Related also to German Schwelle ( > Danish svelle), Old Norse svill, Latin silva (“wood, forest”), Ancient Greek ὕλη (húlē).