mills: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Predominantly neutral/informative; technical in industrial contexts; slightly dated/literary in metaphorical use.
Quick answer
What does “mills” mean?
Factories or industrial buildings where raw materials are processed into products, especially grain into flour, or more generally, any large-scale industrial facility.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Factories or industrial buildings where raw materials are processed into products, especially grain into flour, or more generally, any large-scale industrial facility.
Can refer metaphorically to any slow, grinding, or routine process (e.g., "the mill of bureaucracy"), or, as a verb, to move aimlessly in a crowd ("milling about"). Also used in names of places or companies.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term similarly for industrial buildings. 'Mill' is slightly more common in British place names (e.g., Mill Lane, Tring). In the US, 'mill' can be associated more strongly with 19th-century industrial history.
Connotations
UK: Often evokes historical, water-powered mills (grain, textiles). US: Can evoke large-scale steel or lumber mills. In both, metaphorical use implies something impersonal, grinding, or mechanistic.
Frequency
Comparable frequency. Slightly higher in UK English due to historical prevalence and place names.
Grammar
How to Use “mills” in a Sentence
The mills [VERB] (The mills closed)[ADJ] mills (historic mills)mills for [NP] (mills for processing cotton)mills in [PLACE] (mills in Lancashire)mills along the [RIVER]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mills” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The cattle were milling around in the field.
- Protesters milled about outside the parliament.
American English
- Fans milled around the stadium entrance after the game.
- The team milled on the sidelines, waiting for play to resume.
adjective
British English
- The mill chimney dominated the skyline.
- They lived in a converted mill building.
American English
- The mill town faced economic decline.
- The mill race powered the old machinery.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to industrial assets, production capacity, or historical business models ("The company sold off its old paper mills.").
Academic
Used in historical, economic, or industrial studies ("The role of cotton mills in the Industrial Revolution.").
Everyday
Used for historical buildings, place names, or metaphorically ("We visited some old mills on our walk." / "The insurance claim went through the mill.").
Technical
Specific types: rolling mill, grinding mill, ball mill, milling machine (engineering/manufacturing).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “mills”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “mills”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mills”
- Using 'mills' as a singular verb (incorrect: 'He mills the flour.' Correct: 'He works at the mill.' / 'The crowd mills about.'). Confusing 'mill' (factory) with 'mall' (shopping centre).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while historically associated with grain, 'mills' can refer to facilities processing many materials: paper mills, steel mills, sawmills (wood), textile mills.
Traditionally, a 'mill' uses a natural force (water, wind) to drive machinery to process raw materials. A 'factory' is a broader term for any large-scale manufacturing building. Today, the terms are often used interchangeably, though 'mill' is still specific to certain industries.
Yes. As a transitive verb, it means to grind or process in a mill. More commonly, as an intransitive verb (often 'mill about/around'), it means to move around aimlessly in a crowd.
It means experience or information that can be used to one's advantage. Grist is grain for grinding, so metaphorically, it's material that fuels a process (like writing or learning).
Factories or industrial buildings where raw materials are processed into products, especially grain into flour, or more generally, any large-scale industrial facility.
Mills is usually predominantly neutral/informative; technical in industrial contexts; slightly dated/literary in metaphorical use. in register.
Mills: in British English it is pronounced /mɪlz/, and in American English it is pronounced /mɪlz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “run-of-the-mill (ordinary)”
- “grist for the mill (useful experience)”
- “through the mill (a difficult experience)”
- “put through the mill (to subject to a difficult process)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a WINDMILL - it has sails that go round and round, just like the machinery inside industrial mills.
Conceptual Metaphor
ORGANIZATIONS/ PROCESSES ARE MACHINES ("the mills of justice grind slowly"), LIFE/EXPERIENCE IS RAW MATERIAL ("grist for the mill").
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'run-of-the-mill' mean?