pill
♦ pill /p'ɪl/ (pills)
1 [N-COUNT]
Pills are small solid round masses of medicine or vitamins that you swallow without chewing.
Why do I have to take all these pills?
...sleeping pills.
= tablet
2 [N-SING] the N
If a woman is on the pill, she takes a special pill that prevents her from becoming pregnant.
She had been on the pill for three years.
3 [PHRASE] N inflects
If a person or group has to accept a failure or an unpleasant piece of news, you can say that it was a bitter pill or a bitter pill to swallow.
You're too old to be given a job. That's a bitter pill to swallow.
4 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone does something to sweeten the pill or sugar the pill, they do it to make some unpleasant news or an unpleasant measure more acceptable.
He sweetened the pill by increasing wages, although by slightly less than he raised prices.morning-after pill (morning-after pills)
[N-COUNT] usu the N in sing
The morning-after pill is a pill that a woman can take some hours after having sex to prevent herself from becoming pregnant.poi|son pill (poison pills)
[N-COUNT]
A poison pill refers to what some companies do to reduce their value in order to prevent themselves being taken over by another company. (BUSINESS)sleep|ing pill (sleeping pills)
[N-COUNT]
A sleeping pill is a pill that you can take to help you sleep.
1 [N-COUNT]
Pills are small solid round masses of medicine or vitamins that you swallow without chewing.
Why do I have to take all these pills?
...sleeping pills.
= tablet
2 [N-SING] the N
If a woman is on the pill, she takes a special pill that prevents her from becoming pregnant.
She had been on the pill for three years.
3 [PHRASE] N inflects
If a person or group has to accept a failure or an unpleasant piece of news, you can say that it was a bitter pill or a bitter pill to swallow.
You're too old to be given a job. That's a bitter pill to swallow.
4 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone does something to sweeten the pill or sugar the pill, they do it to make some unpleasant news or an unpleasant measure more acceptable.
He sweetened the pill by increasing wages, although by slightly less than he raised prices.morning-after pill (morning-after pills)
[N-COUNT] usu the N in sing
The morning-after pill is a pill that a woman can take some hours after having sex to prevent herself from becoming pregnant.poi|son pill (poison pills)
[N-COUNT]
A poison pill refers to what some companies do to reduce their value in order to prevent themselves being taken over by another company. (BUSINESS)sleep|ing pill (sleeping pills)
[N-COUNT]
A sleeping pill is a pill that you can take to help you sleep.