drilling
drilling — noun
1. the work or activity of using a drill to cut a hole through a hard material such
the work or activity of using a drill to cut a hole through a hard material such as wood, metal, stone, or the ground
Nila watched the construction workers finish the drilling for the new window frame.
uncountable noun used as subject or object
The drilling of the oil well required months of careful planning.
drilling of + [target material]
Drilling into concrete walls creates a lot of dust, so Tomás wore a mask.
We marked the wall for the drilling before putting up the shelves.
The constant drilling from the dentist made Hiro's jaw ache for hours.
- boring
more technical; usually refers to drilling deep holes in earth or metal using heavy machinery
- perforation
formal and medical/industrial; focuses on making a series of small holes
用法筆記
Commonly used with a prepositional phrase starting with 'of' (the drilling of a hole) or 'into' (drilling into a wall), or as an uncountable noun modified by an adjective before it.
常見錯誤
2. a training activity in which a series of movements or actions are repeated many
a training activity in which a series of movements or actions are repeated many times, especially in the military, sports, or emergency services, so that people can perform them correctly without thinking
The new soldiers spent the morning doing drilling exercises on the parade ground.
drilling exercises — common military collocation
Fire drills are an important type of drilling that helps people stay safe in an emergency.
Iker found the daily drilling boring, but later he could pack his gear in under a minute.
The team's morning drilling helped them work together more quickly during the match.
Zola's dance instructor began each class with twenty minutes of drilling on basic steps.
用法筆記
Can be used as an uncountable noun (the general activity) or less commonly as a countable noun in the plural (soldiers doing drillings) — though 'drills' is more common for countable instances.
常見錯誤
drilling — verb
- drillingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- drillings3rd person singular
- drillinging-ing form
- drillingedpast simple
1. to use a drill or similar tool to cut a hole through a hard material such as woo
to use a drill or similar tool to cut a hole through a hard material such as wood, metal, stone, or bone
Anthony drilled a hole in the wall to hang a picture of his family.
drill + a hole + in + [surface]
Workers drilled into the road to fix a broken water pipe below the surface.
drill into + [surface] — intransitive pattern
Tendai drilled four holes in the wooden board to attach it to the frame.
The dentist drilled carefully into the patient's tooth to remove the decayed part.
Putri used a drill to make a hole in the metal sheet for the cable.
- fill
to close up a hole that has been drilled
文法句型
drill + [hole/opening] + in/into + [surface]
drill + into + [surface]
drill + through + [material]
用法筆記
Transitive when specifying what is being made (drill a hole / drill a well). Intransitive when focusing on the surface being entered (drill into the wall / drill through the wood).
常見錯誤
2. to teach a skill or routine by having someone repeat the same actions or movemen
to teach a skill or routine by having someone repeat the same actions or movements many times, with the goal of making their performance fast and correct
The sergeant drilled the soldiers until they could march in perfect formation without any mistakes.
drill + [person] + until + [result]
Caleb drills the basketball team on the same passing play every afternoon before the game.
drill + [person] + on + [skill/technique]
The swimming coach drilled the children on their breathing technique for an entire hour.
Firefighters drill regularly so that they can respond quickly to any emergency call.
Nila drilled the dance routine with her partner until they performed it without error.
文法句型
drill + [person] + on/in + [skill]
drill + for + [event/purpose]
用法筆記
The person being trained can be the direct object (drill the soldiers) or the skill can be the direct object (drill the dance routine). When focusing on the skill area, use 'on' (drilled them on their breathing).
常見錯誤
3. to make someone learn or remember something by telling them the same thing many
to make someone learn or remember something by telling them the same thing many times, often until they accept it as true — for example, drilling safety rules into children, or drilling good manners into a class
The teacher drilled the new words into her students by repeating each one ten times.
drill + [information] + into + [person]
His parents drilled it into him that he should always say thank you after receiving a gift.
drill it into + [person] + that-clause
Defne's swimming instructor drilled the safety rules into the class before they entered the water.
Feng's piano teacher drilled the correct finger positions into him until they felt completely natural.
The coach drilled it into the young players that practice is more important than winning.
- instil
more formal; suggests the knowledge becomes a lasting part of the person's thinking, not just memorised
- hammer into
more forceful and informal; implies the learner is reluctant
文法句型
drill + [information/rules] + into + [person]
drill it into + [person] + that + [clause]
用法筆記
Always takes a direct object (the information being taught) plus 'into [person]'. The 'it' in 'drill it into someone that...' acts as a dummy object preparing for a that-clause. This sense often carries a slightly negative tone, suggesting the teaching is forceful or mechanical.