# pill

> English word · Noun · IPA /pɪl/ · frequency rank #6,821

## Definitions
1. A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication.
2. A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication.
3. Contraceptive medication, usually in the form of a pill to be taken by a woman; an oral contraceptive pill.
4. Something offensive, unpleasant or nauseous which must be accepted or endured.
5. A contemptible, annoying, or unpleasant person.
6. A comical or entertaining person.
7. A small piece of any substance, for example a ball of fibers formed on the surface of a textile fabric by rubbing.
8. A baseball.
9. A bullet (projectile).
10. A rounded rectangle containing a brief text caption indicating the tag or category that an item belongs to.

## Etymology
* From Middle English pille (also pillem), a borrowing from Middle Low German pille or Middle Dutch pille (whence Dutch pil), probably from Latin pila, pilula.
* (persuade or convince): Generalized from red pill.

## Easily confused with
- **PL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pl)
- **pin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pin)
- **pit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pit)
- **ppl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-ppl)
- **PLC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-plc)
- **pol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pol)
- **pip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pip)
- **PLA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pla)
- **ply** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-ply)
- **pix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pix)
- **PSL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-psl)
- **pir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pir)
- **pull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pull)
- **pool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pool)
- **pink** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pink)
- **poll** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-poll)
- **pipe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pipe)
- **pole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pole)
- **piss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-piss)
- **pine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pill-vs-pine)

## Common misspellings (3)
`ipll`, `plil`, `ppill`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pill