n. [ Cf. Peel skin, or Pillion. ] The peel or skin. [ Obs. ] “Some be covered over with crusts, or hard pills, as the locusts.” Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. & i.
Pillers and robbers were come in to the field to pill and to rob. Sir T. Malroy. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. [ Cf. L. pilare to deprive of hair, and E. pill, n. (above). ]
[ Jacob ] pilled white streaks . . . in the rods. Gen. xxx. 37. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i. To be peeled; to peel off in flakes. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ F. pilute, L. pilula a pill, little ball, dim. of L. pila a ball. Cf. Piles. ]
Pill beetle (Zool.),
Pill bug (Zool.),
v. i. To take spoil; to plunder; to ravage. [ 1913 Webster ]
They were suffered to pillage wherever they went. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ F., fr. piller to plunder. See Pill to plunder. ]
Which pillage they with merry march bring home. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i.
Mummius . . . took, pillaged, and burnt their city. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. One who pillages. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ OE. pilerF. pilier, LL. pilare, pilarium, pilarius, fr. L. pila a pillar. See Pile a heap. ]
Jacob set a pillar upon her grave. Gen. xxxv. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]
The place . . . vast and proud,
Supported by a hundred pillars stood. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]
By day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
From pillar to post,
Pillar saint.
Pillars of the fauces.