Mills vs. Mill — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 16, 2024
Mills generally refer to multiple industrial facilities for grinding or manufacturing, whereas a mill is a single unit focused on these processes.
Difference Between Mills and Mill
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Mills are commonly used to describe a collection of grinding or manufacturing facilities operating within a similar framework, whereas a mill typically refers to a single facility dedicated to these tasks.
In industrial contexts, mills often involve extensive setups with multiple buildings or machines designed for producing goods in bulk, whereas a mill can be as simple as a single machine used for grinding grains.
The term mills can imply a larger scale of operations and might be part of a broader industrial area, whereas a mill is often a standalone entity or part of a smaller community setup.
Historically, mills have been integral to economies, referring to multiple facilities within an industry such as steel mills or paper mills, whereas a single mill would be a more localized operation, like a sawmill or gristmill.
Mills can also signify modern industrial complexes with advanced technology for mass production, whereas a mill retains a traditional connotation, often still employing old-fashioned techniques in its operations.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Refers to multiple industrial facilities
Refers to a single facility
Scale
Usually larger and part of a complex
Can be smaller and standalone
Operation
Typically involves mass production
May focus on more specialized production
Historical Connotation
Imply a network within an industry
Often associated with traditional, local operations
Technological Implication
Often modern and technologically advanced
Can be traditional with older techniques
Compare with Definitions
Mills
Industrial complexes contributing to mass production.
The paper mills along the river are a major employer.
Mill
A building or group of buildings equipped with machinery for manufacturing.
The new mill has increased production threefold.
Mills
Facilities where raw materials are processed into finished goods.
The region's economy was boosted by the steel mills.
Mill
A facility equipped for processing grains into flour.
The old mill by the creek still grinds wheat.
Mills
Places where agricultural products are industrially processed.
Local farms send their grains to nearby mills for grinding.
Mill
A factory where raw products are refined or shaped.
The cotton mill produces high-quality textiles.
Mills
Collections of machines operating in unison in a single location.
The textile mills here produce hundreds of fabrics daily.
Mill
A machine that grinds or pulverizes various materials.
He uses a small mill in his workshop for metal parts.
Mills
Sites for mechanical or chemical transformation of materials.
The sugar mills process raw cane into refined sugar.
Mill
A business involved in mechanical or manufacturing operations.
The family-owned mill specializes in custom-made papers.
Mills
Plural of mill
Mill
A building equipped with machinery for grinding grain into flour.
Mills
United States architect who was the presidentially appointed architect of Washington D.C. (1781-1855)
Mill
A factory fitted with machinery for a particular manufacturing process
A steel mill
A mill town
Mill
An engine.
Mill
A boxing match or a fist fight.
Mill
A monetary unit used only in calculations, worth one thousandth of a dollar.
Mill
Grind (something) in a mill
Hard wheats are easily milled into white flour
Mill
Cut or shape (metal) with a rotating tool
In the machine shop we mill and grind the castings
Mill
(of people or animals) move around in a confused mass
Tourists were milling about in the lobby
Mill
Thicken (wool or another animal fibre) by fulling it
Ordinary wool blankets are made by milling a woven wool fabric
Mill
A building equipped with machinery for grinding grain into flour or meal.
Mill
A device or mechanism that grinds grain.
Mill
A building or farm equipped with machinery that presses or grinds fruit to extract the juice
A cider mill.
Mill
A device or machine used to extract juice from fruit.
Mill
A machine or device that reduces a solid or coarse substance into pulp or minute grains by crushing, grinding, or pressing
A pepper mill.
Mill
A building or group of buildings equipped with machinery for processing raw materials into finished or industrial products
A textile mill.
A steel mill.
Mill
A machine, such as one for stamping coins, that produces something by the repetition of a simple process.
Mill
A steel roller bearing a raised design, used for making a die or a printing plate by pressure.
Mill
Any of various machines for shaping, cutting, polishing, or dressing metal surfaces.
Mill
A process, agency, or institution that operates in a mechanical way or turns out products in the manner of a factory
The college was nothing more than a diploma mill.
Mill
A business that breeds and sells animals, such as purebred puppies, often in substandard conditions. Often used in combination
A puppy mill.
Mill
A difficult or laborious series of experiences
Went through the mill trying to get approval to build an addition onto the house.
Mill
A unit of currency equal to 1/1000 of a US dollar or 1/10 of a cent.
Mill
To grind, pulverize, or break down into smaller particles in a mill
Mill grain.
Mill
To produce or process mechanically in a mill
Mill steel.
Mill
To cut, shape, or finish in a mill or with a milling tool
Logs that are milled for lumber.
Mill
To produce a ridge around the edge of (a coin).
Mill
To groove or flute the rim of (a coin or other metal object).
Mill
Western US To cause (cattle) to move in a circle or tightening spiral in order to stop a stampede.
Mill
To move around in churning confusion
"A crowd of school children milled about on the curb looking scared" (Anne Tyler).
Mill
(Slang) To fight with the fists; box.
Mill
To undergo milling
Grain that mills well.
Mill
A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.
Pepper mill
Pepper has a stronger flavor when it is ground straight from a mill.
Mill
The building housing such a grinding apparatus.
My grandfather worked in a mill.
Mill
A machine used for expelling the juice, sap, etc., from vegetable tissues by pressure, or by pressure in combination with a grinding, or cutting process.
A cider mill; a cane mill
Mill
A machine for grinding and polishing.
A lapidary mill
Mill
A milling machine for machining of solid metal, wood, or plastic.
Lathes, mills, and drill presses
Mill
The raised or ridged edge or surface made in milling anything, such as a coin or screw.
Mill
A manufacturing plant for paper, steel, textiles, etc.
Mill
A building housing such a plant.
Mill
(figurative) An establishment that handles a certain type of situation or procedure routinely, or produces large quantities of an item without much regard to quality, such as a divorce mill, a puppy mill, etc.
Mill
An institution awarding educational certificates not officially recognised
Mill
(informal) An engine.
Mill
(informal) A boxing match, fistfight.
Mill
(die sinking) A hardened steel roller with a design in relief, used for imprinting a reversed copy of the design in a softer metal, such as copper.
Mill
(mining) An excavation in rock, transverse to the workings, from which material for filling is obtained.
Mill
(mining) A passage underground through which ore is shot.
Mill
A milling cutter.
Mill
(historical) A prison treadmill.
Mill
A typewriter used to transcribe messages received.
Mill
An obsolete coin worth one thousandth of a US dollar, or one tenth of a cent.
Mill
One thousandth part, particularly in millage rates of property tax.
Mill
A line of three matching pieces in nine men's morris and related games.
Mill
(trading card games) Discarding a card from one's deck.
Mill
(trading card games) A strategy centered on depleting the opponent's deck.
Mill
(transitive) To grind or otherwise process in a mill or other machine.
To mill flour
Mill
(transitive) To shape, polish, dress or finish using a machine.
Mill
(transitive) To engrave one or more grooves or a pattern around the edge of (a cylindrical object such as a coin).
Mill
To move about in an aimless fashion.
I didn't have much to do, so I just milled around the town looking at the shops.
Mill
(transitive) To cause to mill, or circle around.
To mill cattle
Mill
To swim underwater.
Mill
To swim suddenly in a new direction.
Mill
To beat; to pound.
Mill
To pass through a fulling mill; to full, as cloth.
Mill
(transitive) To roll (steel, etc.) into bars.
Mill
(transitive) To make (drinking chocolate) frothy, as by churning.
Mill
(intransitive) To undergo hulling.
This maize mills well.
Mill
To take part in a fistfight; to box.
Mill
To fill (a winze or interior incline) with broken ore, to be drawn out at the bottom.
Mill
To commit burglary.
Mill
To move (a card) from a deck to the discard pile.
Mill
To destroy (a card) due to having a full hand.
Mill
A money of account of the United States, having the value of the tenth of a cent, or the thousandth of a dollar.
Mill
A machine for grinding or comminuting any substance, as grain, by rubbing and crushing it between two hard, rough, or indented surfaces; as, a gristmill, a coffee mill; a bone mill.
Mill
A machine used for expelling the juice, sap, etc., from vegetable tissues by pressure, or by pressure in combination with a grinding, or cutting process; as, a cider mill; a cane mill.
Mill
A machine for grinding and polishing; as, a lapidary mill.
Mill
A common name for various machines which produce a manufactured product, or change the form of a raw material by the continuous repetition of some simple action; as, a sawmill; a stamping mill, etc.
Mill
A building or collection of buildings with machinery by which the processes of manufacturing are carried on; as, a cotton mill; a powder mill; a rolling mill.
Mill
A hardened steel roller having a design in relief, used for imprinting a reversed copy of the design in a softer metal, as copper.
Mill
An excavation in rock, transverse to the workings, from which material for filling is obtained.
Mill
A milling cutter. See Illust. under Milling.
Mill
A pugilistic encounter.
Mill
Short for Treadmill.
Mill
The raised or ridged edge or surface made in milling anything, as a coin or screw.
Mill
A building or complex of buildings containing a mill{1} or other machinery to grind grains into flour.
Mill
To reduce to fine particles, or to small pieces, in a mill; to grind; to comminute.
Mill
To shape, finish, or transform by passing through a machine; specifically, to shape or dress, as metal, by means of a rotary cutter.
Mill
To make a raised border around the edges of, or to cut fine grooves or indentations across the edges of, as of a coin, or a screw head; also, to stamp in a coining press; to coin.
Mill
To pass through a fulling mill; to full, as cloth.
Mill
To beat with the fists.
Mill
To roll into bars, as steel.
Mill
To swim under water; - said of air-breathing creatures.
Mill
To undergo hulling, as maize.
Mill
To move in a circle, as cattle upon a plain; to move around aimlessly; - usually used with around.
The deer and the pig and the nilghar were milling round and round in a circle of eight or ten miles radius.
Mill
To swim suddenly in a new direction; - said of whales.
Mill
To take part in a mill; to box.
Mill
To fill (a winze or interior incline) with broken ore, to be drawn out at the bottom.
Mill
To cause to mill, or circle round, as cattle.
Mill
A plant consisting of buildings with facilities for manufacturing
Mill
Scottish philosopher who expounded Bentham's utilitarianism; father of John Stuart Mill (1773-1836)
Mill
English philosopher and economist remembered for his interpretations of empiricism and utilitarianism (1806-1873)
Mill
Machine that processes materials by grinding or crushing
Mill
The act of grinding to a powder or dust
Mill
Move about in a confused manner
Mill
Grind with a mill;
Mill grain
Mill
Produce a ridge around the edge of;
Mill a coin
Mill
Roll out (metal) with a rolling machine
Common Curiosities
Can a mill operate with traditional methods in modern times?
Yes, some mills still operate using traditional methods, especially in areas like gristmilling or in heritage sites.
What is the primary function of a mill?
A mill is primarily used for grinding, pulverizing, or processing raw materials into finished products.
Is there a difference in the scale of operations between mills and a mill?
Yes, mills generally indicate larger-scale operations possibly with multiple buildings, whereas a mill often refers to a smaller or single operation.
Are mills always part of a larger complex?
Often, but not always; mills can also be standalone entities but typically suggest multiple operations.
How do mills contribute to industrial production?
Mills are crucial in industrial production, allowing for mass processing and manufacturing of goods.
What types of goods are typically produced in a mill?
A mill can produce a variety of goods, including flour, textiles, and steel, depending on its specific type.
What historical significance do mills have?
Historically, mills have been foundational to industrial development and local economies, particularly in processing and manufacturing sectors.
Can the term 'mills' refer to different types of industries?
Yes, 'mills' can refer to various industries such as textile, paper, steel, and more, involving multiple facilities.
Do all mills use advanced technology?
Many modern mills use advanced technology for efficiency, but this is not universal.
What is the environmental impact of mills?
Mills can have significant environmental impacts, including pollution and resource consumption, depending on their management and technology.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
