gimlet

/ˈɡɪm.lət/

//ˈɡɪm.lət// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"gimlet" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gimlet” is uncommon English (frequency #74,990 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,990
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small screw-tipped tool for boring holes.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gimlet · gimlet · English

gimlet · rank #74,990 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #74,990
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH gestural

Nearest frequency peer: gestural (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “gimlet”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “gimlet” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gimlet
PropertyValue
Headwordgimlet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɪm.lət/
Letters6
Frequency rank#74,990
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gimlet” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).gimletfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “gestural” (#74,989), “gladden” (#74,991), “Geoghegan” (#74,988). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gimlet” is #74,990. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gimlet is uncommon English at frequency #74,990 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡɪm.lət/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for gimlet in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gimlet etc., from Old French guinbelet, guimbelet, guibelet, probably a diminutive of the Anglo-Norman wimble, a variation of guimble (“drill”), from the Middle Low German wiemel; continued in New French as gibelet. Cocktail either named… The correct English form is gimlet, spelled G-I-M-L-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small screw-tipped tool for boring holes.
  2. 2
    A cocktail, usually made with gin and lime juice.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how gimlet appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The box was close on every side, with a little door for me to go in and out, and a few gimlet holes to let in air.
  2. I would find by the edge of that water / The collar-bone of a hare / Worn thin by the lapping of water, / And pierce it through with a gimlet and stare [...]

Etymology

From Middle English gimlet etc., from Old French guinbelet, guimbelet, guibelet, probably a diminutive of the Anglo-Norman wimble, a variation of guimble (“drill”), from the Middle Low German wiemel; continued in New French as gibelet. Cocktail either named after the tool, in reference to its penetrating effects, or British Navy surgeon Thomas Gimlette (1857–1943).

This word in other languages

vrille(Français)Ahle(Deutsch)verruma(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gimlet"?
"gimlet" is spelled G-I-M-L-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɪm.lət/.
What does "gimlet" mean?
As a noun, "gimlet" means: A small screw-tipped tool for boring holes.
How do you pronounce "gimlet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gimlet" is /ˈɡɪm.lət/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "gimlet"?
From Middle English gimlet etc., from Old French guinbelet, guimbelet, guibelet, probably a diminutive of the Anglo-Norman wimble, a variation of guimble (“drill”), from the Middle Low German wiemel; continued in New French as gibelet. Cocktail ei... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "gimlet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gelder#74,987Gorski#75,002fluoro#74,965Farkas#74,951

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list