• (British, GA) IPA: /ˈbɪlɪt/

billet (plural billets)

1. A short informal letter.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter XII, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes, volume (please specify ), London: Printed by A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292 ↗, book VI:

     {{#if:However, when his cool reflections returned, he plainly perceived that his case was neither mended nor altered by Sophia's billet{{...}|

2. A written order to quarter soldiers.

• Russian: запи́ска

billet (plural billets)

1. A place where a soldier is assigned to lodge.
   • 1997, Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, page 9 (Totem Books, Icon Books; ISBN 1840460865

     17 June 1940: Prime Minister Pétain requests armistice. Germans use the Foucaults’ holiday home as officers’ billet. Foucault steals firewood for school from collaborationist militia. Foucault does well at school, but messes up his summer exams in 1940.

2. An allocated space or berth in a boat or ship.
3. (figurative) Berth; position.

   • His shafts of satire fly straight to their billet, and there they rankle.

billet (billets, present participle billeting; past and past participle billeted)

1. (transitive, of a householder etc.) To lodge soldiers, or guests, usually by order.

   • Billeted in so antiquated a mansion.

2. (intransitive, of a soldier) To lodge, or be quartered, in a private house.
3. (transitive) To direct, by a ticket or note, where to lodge.

• German: einquartieren
• Portuguese: aquartelar
• Russian: расквартиро́вывать
• Spanish: acuartelar

billet (plural billets)

1. (metallurgy) A semi-finished length of metal.
2. A short piece of wood, especially one used as firewood.
3. (heraldiccharge) A rectangle used as a charge on an escutcheon.
4. (architecture) An ornament in Norman work, resembling a billet of wood, either square or round.
5. (saddlery) A strap that enters a buckle.
6. A loop that receives the end of a buckled strap.

• Russian: сли́ток

• Russian: поле́но

billet (plural billets)

1. Alternative form of billard (“coalfish”)