mill

{{11}}mill (n.¹) "building fitted to grind grain," O.E. mylen "a mill" (10c.), an early Germanic borrowing from L.L. molina, molinum "mill" (source of Fr. moulin, Sp. molino), originally fem. and neuter of molinus "pertaining to a mill," from L. mola "mill, millstone," related to molere "to grind," from PIE *mele-, *mel- "to crush, grind," with derivatives referring to ground material and tools for grinding (Cf. Gk. myle "mill;" see MALLET (Cf. mallet)).

Also from L.L. molina, directly or indirectly, are Ger. Mühle, O.S. mulin, O.N. mylna, Dan. mèlle, O.C.S. mulinu. Broader sense of "grinding machine" is attested from 1550s. Other types of manufacturing machines driven by wind or water, whether for grinding or not, began to be called mills by early 15c. Sense of "building fitted with industrial machinery" is from c.1500.

{{12}}mill (n.²) "one-tenth cent," 1786, an original U.S. currency unit but now used only for tax calculation purposes, shortening of L. millesimum "one-thousandth," from mille "a thousand" (see MILE (Cf. mile)). Formed on the analogy of cent, which is short for L. centesimus "one hundredth" (of a dollar).

{{12}}mill (v.¹) "to grind," 1550s, from MILL (Cf. mill) (n.¹). Related: milled; milling.

{{13}}mill (v.²) "to keep moving round and round in a mass," 1874 (implied in milling), originally of cattle, from MILL (Cf. mill) (n.¹) on resemblance to the action of a mill wheel. Related: Milled.