sill

noun

ˈsil 

1

: a horizontal piece (such as a timber) that forms the lowest member or one of the lowest members of a framework or supporting structure: such as

a

: the horizontal member at the base of a window

b

: the threshold of a door

2

: a tabular body of igneous rock injected while molten between sedimentary or volcanic beds or along foliation planes of metamorphic rocks

3

: a submerged ridge at relatively shallow depth separating the basins of two bodies of water

Examples of sill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The precious metal also features on the door sill tread plates, designed to look like gold bars, and there’s even a gold golf putter mounted to the underside of the trunk lid. —Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024

There’s more of Auric Goldfinger’s favorite precious metal inside the Phantom, including a gold finish on the air vents, organ stops, and speaker grilles, plus sill tread plates that resemble gold bars. —Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024

The bigger icebergs get stuck on the sill, and other icebergs pile up behind them, in a great glacial traffic jam. —Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

Bedrooms Window sills, baseboards, ceiling fan blades, and all surfaces of the bedroom should be dusted. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sille, from Old English syll; akin to Old High German swelli beam, threshold

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sill

noun

ˈsil 

1

: a horizontal piece (as a timber) that forms the lowest part of a supporting structure: as

a

: the horizontal piece at the base of a window

b

: the timber or stone at the foot of a door : threshold

2

: a flat mass of igneous rock injected while melted between other rocks