English
bill
see also: Bill
Pronunciation Noun

bill (plural bills)

  1. Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff.
    • 18, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 1, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify ), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323 ↗:
    • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons.
      In the British Museum there is an entry of a warrant, granted to Nicholas Spicer, authorising him to impress smiths for making two thousand Welch bills or glaives.
    Synonyms: polearm
  2. A cutting instrument, with hook-shaped point, and fitted with a handle, used in pruning, etc.; a billhook.
    Synonyms: billhook, hand bill, hedge bill
  3. Somebody armed with a bill; a billman.
    Synonyms: billman
  4. A pickaxe, or mattock.
  5. (nautical) The extremity of the arm of an anchor; the point of or beyond the fluke (also called the peak).
Translations Translations Translations Verb

bill (bills, present participle billing; past and past participle billed)

  1. (transitive) To dig, chop, etc., with a bill.
Translations Noun

bill (plural bills)

  1. The beak of a bird, especially when small or flattish; sometimes also used with reference to a platypus, turtle, or other animal.
    • 1595, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III, Scene I, line 125.
      The woosel cock so black of hue, With orange-tawny bill, The throstle with his note so true, The wren with little quill...
    Synonyms: beak, neb, nib, pecker
  2. A beak-like projection, especially a promontory.
  3. Of a cap#Noun|cap or hat: the brim#Noun|brim or peak#Noun|peak, serving as a shade#Noun|shade to keep sun#Noun|sun off the face#Noun|face and out of the eye#Noun|eyes.
Translations Translations Verb

bill (bills, present participle billing; past and past participle billed)

  1. (obsolete) to peck
  2. to stroke bill against bill, with reference to doves; to caress in fondness
    • 1599
      As the ox hath his bow, sir, the horse his curb and the falcon her bells, so man hath his desires; and as pigeons bill, so wedlock would be nibbling.
Translations Noun

bill (plural bills)

  1. A written list or inventory. (Now obsolete except in specific senses or set phrases; bill of lading, bill of goods, etc.)
  2. A document, originally sealed; a formal statement or official memorandum. (Now obsolete except with certain qualifying words; bill of health, bill of sale etc.)
  3. A draft of a law, presented to a legislature for enactment; a proposed or projected law.
    • 1600, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act II, Scene I, line 28.
      Why, I'll exhibit a bill in the parliament for the putting down of men.
    Synonyms: measure
  4. (obsolete, law) A declaration made in writing, stating some wrong the complainant has suffered from the defendant, or a fault committed by some person against a law.
    • 1853, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, ch 1:
      ... the legion of bills in the suit have been transformed into mere bills of mortality ...
  5. (US) A piece of paper money; a banknote.
  6. A written note of goods sold, services rendered, or work done, with the price or charge; an invoice.
    • 1607, William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens, Act III, Scene IV, line 85.
      My lord, here is my bill.
    Synonyms: account, invoice
  7. A paper, written or printed, and posted up or given away, to advertise something, as a lecture, a play, or the sale of goods
    Synonyms: broadsheet, broadside, card, circular, flier, flyer, handbill, poster, posting, placard, notice, throwaway
    • 1595, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I, Scene II, line 104.
      In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants.
    • She put up the bill in her parlor window.
  8. A writing binding the signer or signers to pay a certain sum at a future day or on demand, with or without interest, as may be stated in the document; a bill of exchange. In the United States, it is usually called a note, a note of hand, or a promissory note.
    • 1600, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act I, Scene I, line 8.
      Ay, and Rato-lorum too; and a gentleman born, Master Parson; who writes himself Armigero, in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, Armigero.
    Synonyms: bank bill, banker's bill, bank note, banknote, Federal Reserve note, government note, greenback, note
  9. A set of items presented together.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

bill (bills, present participle billing; past and past participle billed)

  1. (transitive) To advertise by a bill or public notice.
    Synonyms: placard
  2. (transitive) To charge; to send a bill to.
    Synonyms: charge
Translations Translations Noun

bill (plural bills)

  1. The bell, or boom, of the bittern.
    • The bittern's hollow bill was heard.
Bill
Pronunciation Proper noun
  1. A male given name.
    • 1974 John le Carré, Tinker. Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Simon&Schuster, 2002, ISBN 0743457900, page 7
      "My other name's Bill," he said. "I was christened Bill but Mr Thursgood calls me William." / "Bill, eh. The unpaid Bill. Anyone ever call you that?" / "No, sir." / "Good name, anyway." / "Yes, sir." / "Known a lot of Bills. They've all been good 'uns."
    • 1998 Nick Hornby, About A Boy, Victor Gollancz, 1998, ISBN 0575061596, page 208
      One of his neighbours opposite, a nice old guy with a stoop and a horrible little Yorkshire terrier, called him Bill - always had done and presumably always would, right up till the day he died. It actually irritated Will, who was not, he felt, by any stretch of the imagination, a Bill. Bill wouldn't smoke spliffs and listen to Nirvana. So why had he allowed this misapprehension to continue? Why hadn't he just said, four years ago, "Actually my name is Will"?
  2. Surname
  3. (British, slang) A nickname for the British constabulary. Often called "The Bill" or "Old Bill"
Translations
  • Portuguese: Bill
  • Russian: Билл
  • Spanish: Guille


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