Sill , n. [Cf. 4th Sile.]
A young herring.
[Eng.]
Sill , n. [Cf. Thill.]
The shaft or thill of a carriage. [Prov. Eng.]
Sill (?), n. [OE.
sille, sylle, AS. syl,
syll; akin to G. schwelle, OHG. swelli, Icel. syll,
svill, Sw. syll, Dan. syld, Goth. gasuljan to lay a foundation, to found.]
The basis or foundation of a thing; especially, a horizontal piece, as a timber, which forms the lower member of a frame, or supports a structure; as, the sills of a house, of a bridge, of a loom, and the like. Hence: (a) The timber or
stone at the foot of a door; the threshold. (b) The timber or stone on which a window frame stands; or, the lowest piece in a window frame. (c) The floor of a gallery or passage in a
mine. (d)
A piece of timber across the bottom of a canal lock for the gates to
shut against.
Sill course (Arch.), a horizontal course of stone, terra cotta, or the like, built into a
wall at the
level of one or more window sills, these sills often forming part of it.
Hear it pronounced