miller
miller — noun
1. A person whose job was to operate a mill that crushes grain into flour, a role t
A person whose job was to operate a mill that crushes grain into flour, a role that was common in farming communities before modern factories took over the process.
The village miller opened his doors at sunrise to grind the farmers' wheat.
collocation: village miller / miller opened his doors
Amani learned the miller's trade from her grandfather, who ran the old stone mill for forty years.
collocation: miller's trade
In medieval times, the miller was paid with a share of the flour he produced.
The old mill by the river still has the miller's equipment on display for visitors.
collocation: miller's equipment
The farmers in the valley brought barley to the miller for grinding into animal feed.
- village miller
- miller's trade
- miller's equipment
- miller's house
Usage Note
Now uncommon as an active occupation in industrialised countries; the word appears most often in historical writing, folklore, and as a surname.
2. Arthur Miller (1915–2005), an American playwright and essayist best known for th
Arthur Miller (1915–2005), an American playwright and essayist best known for the plays 'Death of a Salesman' and 'The Crucible'.
Arthur Miller's play 'Death of a Salesman' won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949.
play title + award context
Many high schools in the United States teach Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' in literature classes.
Arthur Miller was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956.
Kabir read Arthur Miller's play 'All My Sons' for his drama course last semester.
3. (Alton) Glenn Miller (1904–1944), an American big band leader, trombonist, and c
(Alton) Glenn Miller (1904–1944), an American big band leader, trombonist, and composer whose swing-era hits include 'Moonlight Serenade' and 'In the Mood'.
Glenn Miller's recordings from the 1940s remain popular among swing jazz fans worldwide.
historical recording context
Kabir's grandfather danced to Glenn Miller's band at a dance hall in Chicago in 1942.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra still tours today, performing the original arrangements from the 1940s.
Glenn Miller joined the US Army Air Forces during World War Two and formed a military band.
4. Henry Miller (1891–1980), an American novelist and painter known for his semi-au
Henry Miller (1891–1980), an American novelist and painter known for his semi-autobiographical works such as 'Tropic of Cancer' and 'Tropic of Capricorn'.
Henry Miller's novel 'Tropic of Cancer' was banned in the United States for obscenity until 1961.
novel title + censorship context
Roya wrote her university essay on how Henry Miller's books challenged social norms of the 1930s.
Henry Miller lived in Paris for many years and wrote about his experiences there.
The French government allowed Henry Miller's books to be published long before they were legal in America.
5. Joaquin Miller (1837–1913), born Cincinnatus Hiner Miller, an American poet and
Joaquin Miller (1837–1913), born Cincinnatus Hiner Miller, an American poet and writer known for poems celebrating the American West and Native American life.
Joaquin Miller wrote poems about the American West and the lives of Native Americans.
poetry subject matter — American West
A statue of Joaquin Miller stands in a park in Oakland, California, near his former home.
Joaquin Miller travelled to Europe and gained recognition for his poems about frontier life.
Dewi found a collection of Joaquin Miller's poetry in a second-hand bookshop in Portland.
6. Merton Howard Miller (1923–2000), an American economist who won the Nobel Memori
Merton Howard Miller (1923–2000), an American economist who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1990 for his work on corporate finance theory.
Merton Miller shared the Nobel Prize in Economics with Harry Markowitz and William Sharpe in 1990.
Nobel Prize + co-recipients context
The Modigliani-Miller theorem, developed by Merton Miller and Franco Modigliani, is taught in finance courses worldwide.
Merton Miller taught at the University of Chicago's business school for over thirty years.
Felipe read Merton Miller's papers on corporate capital structure for his economics seminar.
7. Perry Gilbert Eddy Miller (1905–1963), an American literary critic and scholar w
Perry Gilbert Eddy Miller (1905–1963), an American literary critic and scholar who shaped the academic study of early American literature and Puritan thought.
Perry Miller's book 'The New England Mind' is considered a classic of American intellectual history.
book title — canonical scholarly work
Perry Miller taught American literature at Harvard University for more than thirty years.
Astrid referenced Perry Miller's analysis of Puritan sermons in her research paper on colonial New England.
Perry Miller studied old handwritten sermons in a Harvard library to understand how Puritan ministers thought about freedom.
research context: studied hand-written sermons in library
8. William Miller (1782–1849), an American religious leader who founded the Milleri
William Miller (1782–1849), an American religious leader who founded the Millerite movement, which predicted the Second Coming of Christ in the 1840s.
William Miller calculated that the Second Coming of Christ would occur on October 22, 1844.
date-specific prediction context
Thousands of followers left their churches after William Miller's teachings spread across New York State.
After the predicted date passed without event, many of William Miller's followers formed new denominations.
Bao studied the history of the Millerite movement for his class on American religious groups.
Word family
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'miller' comes from Middle English 'miller', from Old English 'mylnere', which was borrowed from Late Latin 'molinārius', meaning 'a person who works at a mill'. The Latin root 'molina' ('mill') traces back to 'mola' ('millstone'). The surname Miller, one of the most common occupational surnames in the English-speaking world, originated as a name for people who worked in grain mills.