gimlet

1 of 4

noun (1)

gim·​let ˈgim-lət How to pronounce gimlet (audio)
: a small tool with a screw point, grooved shank, and cross handle for boring holes

Illustration of gimlet

Illustration of gimlet

gimlet

2 of 4

adjective

: having a piercing or penetrating quality

gimlet

3 of 4

verb

gimleted; gimleting; gimlets

transitive verb

: to pierce as if with a gimlet

gimlet

4 of 4

noun (2)

: a drink consisting of sweetened lime juice and gin or vodka and sometimes carbonated or plain water

Examples of gimlet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
No detail is too small for Caro’s gimlet eye, which is currently trained on finishing Volume 5. Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025 Her 17-year-old daughter, Serena (Marsai Martin), has managed to sneak out of the White House to go clubbing, somehow eluding the gimlet eye of the Secret Service. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
Louisa Catherine Adams, John Quincy Adams’s wife, had gimlet eyes, a satirist’s wit, and a sharp pencil. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2016 See All Example Sentences for gimlet

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French guimbelet, from Middle French (Picard), modification of Middle Dutch wimmelkijn, from wimmel wimble

Noun (2)

probably from gimlet entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1752, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gimlet was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gimlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gimlet. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

gimlet

noun
gim·​let
ˈgim-lət
: a small tool with a screw point and cross handle for boring holes

More from Merriam-Webster on gimlet

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