gill

1.
n. & v.
—n. (usu. in pl.)
1 the respiratory organ in fishes and other aquatic animals.
2 the vertical radial plates on the underside of mushrooms and other fungi.
3 the flesh below a person's jaws and ears (green about the gills).
4 the wattles or dewlap of fowls.
—v.tr.
1 gut (a fish).
2 cut off the gills of (a mushroom).
3 catch in a gill-net.
Phrases and idioms:
gill-cover a bony case protecting a fish's gills; an operculum. gill-net a net for entangling fishes by the gills.
Derivatives:
gilled adj. (also in comb.).
Etymology: ME f. ON gil (unrecorded) f. Gmc
2.
n.
1 a unit of liquid measure, equal to a quarter of a pint.
2 Brit. dial. half a pint.
Etymology: ME f. OF gille, med.L gillo f. LL gello, gillo water-pot
3.
n. (also ghyll) Brit.
1 a deep usu. wooded ravine.
2 a narrow mountain torrent.
Etymology: ME f. ON gil glen
4.
n. (also Gill, jill, Jill)
1 derog. a young woman.
2 colloq. or dial. a female ferret.
Etymology: ME, abbr. of Gillian f. OF Juliane f. L Juliana (Julius)