Pill: meaning, definitions and examples

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pill

[ pɪl ]

^{Context #1}

medicine

A small round mass of solid medicine to be swallowed whole

Synonyms

capsule, medication, tablet

Examples of usage

She took a pill for her headache.
He forgot to take his daily pills.

^{Context #2}

contraception

A contraceptive pill taken orally to prevent pregnancy

Synonyms

birth control pill, contraceptive, oral contraceptive

Examples of usage

She is on the pill.
The doctor prescribed birth control pills.

^{Context #3}

informal

Something unpleasant or difficult to deal with

Synonyms

burden, challenge, hardship

Examples of usage

Swallowing the truth was a bitter pill to swallow.
Losing the game was a hard pill to swallow.

Translations

Translations of the word "pill" in other languages:

🇵🇹 pílula

🇮🇳 गोलियाँ

🇩🇪 Pille

🇮🇩 pil

🇺🇦 пігулка

🇵🇱 pigułka

🇯🇵 錠剤

🇫🇷 pilule

🇪🇸 píldora

🇹🇷 hap

🇰🇷 알약

🇸🇦 حبّة دواء

🇨🇿 pilulka

🇸🇰 pilulka

🇨🇳 药丸

🇸🇮 tableta

🇮🇸 pilla

🇰🇿 таблетка

🇬🇪 ტაბლეტი

🇦🇿 həblər

🇲🇽 píldora

Word origin

The word 'pill' originated from Middle English 'pilule', from Latin 'pilula' meaning 'little ball', diminutive of 'pila' meaning 'ball'. The use of pills as a form of medicine dates back to ancient times, with different cultures using various ingredients to create medicinal pills. In modern times, pills have become a common form of medication delivery for a wide range of health conditions.