LingvoCore.com

sills

B2
UK/sɪlz/US/sɪlz/

Neutral (everyday), Technical (geology/architecture)

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

The horizontal base or ledge at the bottom of a window or door frame.

In geology, a sheet of igneous rock that has intruded between older layers of rock.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Context-dependent; can refer to architectural or geological features.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in meaning or usage.

Connotations

Similar connotations in both variants.

Frequency

Equally common in British and American English.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
window silldoor sill
medium
sill platestone sill
weak
marble sillsill of the bay

Grammar

Valency Patterns

on the sillunder the sillacross the sill

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

threshold

Neutral

ledgebase

Weak

shelf

Vocabulary

Antonyms

lintel

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “No common idioms”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Rare; may appear in real estate or construction contexts.

Academic

Common in geology and architecture studies.

Everyday

Used when discussing home features like windows and doors.

Technical

Specific to construction (sill plate) or geology (igneous sill).

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

  • No verb form

American English

  • No verb form

adverb

British English

  • No adverb form

American English

  • No adverb form

adjective

British English

  • No adjective form

American English

  • No adjective form

Examples

By CEFR Level

A2
  • The cat is sitting on the window sill.
B1
  • We need to clean the sills of all the windows.
B2
  • In geology, sills are formed when magma intrudes between rock layers.
C1
  • The architect specified granite sills for enhanced durability in the new building.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Sills are still at the bottom, like the base of a window.

Conceptual Metaphor

Foundation or starting point.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • False friend with Russian 'сил' meaning strength.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sill' as a verb, which is incorrect.
  • Misspelling as 'silles'.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
Please place the flower pot on the window .
Multiple Choice

What is a 'sill' in geology?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

A sill specifically refers to the base of a window or door, while a ledge is a more general term for a narrow shelf.

Yes, with no significant differences in meaning or usage.

No, 'sill' is primarily a noun and does not have a standard verb form.

It is pronounced /sɪlz/ in both British and American English.