jill

A young woman named Jill walks her dog in the park.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A female given name: "jill" is a common name for a woman, often used as a diminutive of Gillian.
   • A girl or young woman: In informal or poetic contexts, "jill" can refer to a girl or sweetheart, especially paired with "jack" in the phrase "Jack and Jill."

2. Noun (variant spelling of "gill"):

   • A unit of liquid measure: In British English, a "jill" (or "gill") is a unit of capacity equal to about 0.141 litres (or 0.118 litres in the US).
   • A deep, wooded ravine: "jill" can also describe a narrow valley or a mountain stream.
   • The respiratory organ of a fish: "jill" is an alternative spelling for "gill," referring to the gills of a fish.
   • The wattle of a fowl: "jill" can mean the fleshy part under the beak of a chicken or turkey.
   • The lower jaw of a person: Informally, "jill" can refer to the chin or jaw area.
   • A lamella on a mushroom: In botany, "jill" denotes the radiating gills on the underside of a mushroom cap.

Usage Examples

• As a name or term for a woman:

  • Jack and Jill went up the hill. (A traditional nursery rhyme uses "Jill" as a girl's name.)
  • She is my jill, my sweetheart. (Informal use meaning "girlfriend.")

• As a unit of measure:

  • Add one jill of milk to the recipe. (A quarter-pint measure, about 0.14 litres.)

• As a geographical feature:

  • The hikers descended into a deep jill. (A wooded ravine or valley.)

• As a fish gill:

  • The fish was caught by the jill. (The respiratory organ.)

• As a chicken's wattle:

  • The rooster's jill was bright red. (The fleshy part under the beak.)

• As a mushroom lamella:

  • The mushroom's jills were white and delicate. (The radiating gills on the cap.)

Advanced Usage

• "Jack and Jill": A common phrase referring to a young couple or a pair, often used in rhymes and idioms.

  • They are like Jack and Jill, always together. (A romantic or friendly pair.)

• "Green about the jills": An idiom meaning looking pale or ill, derived from the fish gill's color.

  • After the boat ride, she was green about the jills. (She looked seasick.)

• "Rosy about the jills": An idiom meaning looking healthy and robust.

  • After a week of rest, he was rosy about the jills. (He looked well.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gill (n): The standard spelling for the fish organ, unit of measure, ravine, wattle, and mushroom lamella. "Jill" is an alternative spelling.

  • The fish's gills were damaged. (Respiratory organ.)

• Jill-flirt (n): An archaic term for a flirtatious woman.

  • She was known as a jill-flirt at the ball. (A coquette.)

Synonyms

• For a girl or sweetheart: lass, maiden, girlfriend.
• For a unit of measure: quarter-pint, gill.
• For a ravine: gully, gorge, canyon.
• For a fish organ: gill, branchia.

Related Idioms

• Jack and Jill: A pair of lovers or companions.

  • Every Jack must have his Jill. (Everyone finds a partner eventually.)

• To be green about the jills: To appear unwell or nauseated.

  • He was green about the jills after the roller coaster. (He felt sick.)