A natural elevation of land, or a mass of earth rising above the common level of the surrounding land; an eminence less than a mountain. [1913 Webster]
"Every mountain and hill shall be made low." [1913 Webster]
The earth raised about the roots of a plant or cluster of plants. [U. S.] See Hill, v. t. [1913 Webster]
A single cluster or group of plants growing close together, and having the earth heaped up about them; as, a hill of corn or potatoes. [1913 Webster]

Hill ant (Zoöl.), a common ant (Formica rufa), of Europe and America, which makes mounds or ant-hills over its nests. -- Hill myna (Zoöl.), one of several species of birds of India, of the genus Gracula, and allied to the starlings. They are easily taught to speak many words. [Written also hill mynah.] See Myna. -- Hill partridge (Zoöl.), a partridge of the genus Aborophila, of which numerous species in habit Southern Asia and the East Indies. -- Hill tit (Zoöl.), one of numerous species of small Asiatic singing birds of the family Leiotrichidæ. Many are beautifully colored.

Hill, v. t.

To surround with earth; to heap or draw earth around or upon; as, to hill corn. [1913 Webster]

"Showing them how to plant and hill it." [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

Hill, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a naturally raised area of land, not as high as a mountain. b (as the hills) Anglo-Ind. = hill-station.
2 (often in comb.) a heap; a mound (anthill; dunghill).
3 a sloping piece of road.
--v.tr.
1 form into a hill.
2 (usu. foll. by up) bank up (plants) with soil.

Idiom

hill and dale (of a gramophone record) with groove-undulations in a vertical plane. hill-billy (pl. -ies) US
1 colloq., often derog. a person from a remote rural area in a southern State (cf. HICK).
2 folk music of or like that of the southern US. hill climb a race for vehicles up a steep hill. hill-fort a fort built on a hill. hill-station Anglo-Ind. a government settlement, esp. for holidays etc. during the hot season, in the low mountains of N. India. old as the hills very ancient.
over the hill colloq.
1 past the prime of life; declining.
2 past the crisis. up hill and down dale see UP.

Etymology

OE hyll

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THESAURUS

Hill

acclivity, anthill, bank, bank up, barrow, bilge, blain, bleb, blister, blob, boss, bow, brae, bubble, bulb, bulge, bulla, bump, bunch, burl, butte, button, cahot, chine, clump, cock, condyle, convex, decline, declivity, dowel, down, downgrade, downs, drift, drumlin, dune, ear, elevation, embankment, eminence, fell, flange, flap, foothill, foothills, gall, gnarl, grade, gradient, handle, haycock, haymow, hayrick, haystack, heap, heap up, height, highland, hillock, hummock, hump, hunch, incline, jog, joggle, knob, knoll, knot, knur, knurl, lip, loop, lump, mole, molehill, monticle, monticule, moor, mound, mount, mountain, mow, nevus, nub, nubbin, nubble, papilloma, peg, pile, pile up, prominence, promontory, pyramid, rib, rick, ridge, ring, rise, sand dune, shock, shoulder, slope, snowdrift, spine, stack, stack up, stud, style, swell, tab, tor, tubercle, tubercule, upgrade, upland, verruca, vesicle, wale, wart, welt

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ROGET THESAURUS

Hill

Obliquity

N obliquity, inclination, slope, slant, crookedness, slopeness, leaning, bevel, tilt, bias, list, twist, swag, cant, lurch, distortion, bend, tower of Pisa, acclivity, rise, ascent, gradient, khudd, rising ground, hill, bank, declivity, downhill, dip, fall, devexity, gentle slope, rapid slope, easy ascent, easy descent, shelving beach, talus, monagne Russe, facilis descensus averni.

Convexity

N convexity, prominence, projection, swelling, gibbosity, bilge, bulge, protuberance, protrusion, camber, cahot, thank-ye-ma'am, swell, intumescence, tumour, tumor, tubercle, tuberosity, excrescence, hump, hunch, bunch, boss, embossment, hub, hubble, tooth, knob, elbow, process, apophysis, condyle, bulb, node, nodule, nodosity, tongue, dorsum, bump, clump, sugar loaf, bow, mamelon, molar, belly, corporation, pot belly, gut, withers, back, shoulder, lip, flange, pimple, zit, wen, wheel, papula, pustule, pock, proud flesh, growth, sarcoma, caruncle, corn, wart, pappiloma, furuncle, polypus, fungus, fungosity, exostosis, bleb, blister, blain, boil, airbubble, blob, papule, verruca, papilla, nipple, teat, tit, titty, boob, knocker, pap, breast, dug, mammilla, proboscis, nose, neb, beak, snout, nozzle, schnoz, peg, button, stud, ridge, rib, jutty, trunnion, snag, cupola, dome, arch, balcony, eaves, pilaster, relief, relievo, cameo, bassorilievo, mezzorilevo, altorivievo, low relief, bas relief, high relief, hill, cape, promontory, mull, forehead, foreland, point of land, mole, jetty, hummock, ledge, spur, naze, ness, convex, prominent, protuberant, projecting, bossed, embossed, bossy, nodular, bunchy, clavate, clavated, claviform, hummocky, moutonne, mammiliform, papulous, papilose, hemispheric, bulbous, bowed, arched, bold, bellied, tuberous, tuberculous, tumous, cornute, odontoid, lentiform, lenticular, gibbous, club shaped, hubby, hubbly, knobby, papillose, saddle-shaped, selliform, subclavate, torose, ventricose, verrucose, salient, in relief, raised, repousse, bloated, (expanded).

Ascent

N ascent, ascension, rising, acclivity, hill, flight of steps, flight of stairs, ladder rocket, lark, sky rocket, sky lark, Alpine Club, rising, scandent, buoyant, supernatant, superfluitant, excelsior, uphill.

Descent

N descent, descension, declension, declination, fall, falling, slump, drop, plunge, plummet, cadence, subsidence, collapse, lapse, downfall, tumble, slip, tilt, trip, lurch, cropper, culbute, titubation, stumble, fate of Icarus, avalanche, debacle, landslip, landslide, declivity, dip, hill, rappel, descending, descendent, decurrent, decursive, labent, deciduous, nodding to its fall, downhill, downwards, the bottom fell out.

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