Dictionary Definition
bill
Noun
1 a statute in draft before it becomes law; "they
held a public hearing on the bill" [syn: measure]
2 an itemized statement of money owed for goods
shipped or services rendered; "he paid his bill and left"; "send me
an account of what I owe" [syn: account, invoice]
3 a piece of paper money (especially one issued
by a central bank); "he peeled off five one-thousand-zloty notes"
[syn: note, government
note, bank bill,
banker's
bill, bank note,
banknote, Federal
Reserve note, greenback]
4 the entertainment offered at a public
presentation
5 a list of particulars (as a playbill or bill of
fare)
6 an advertisement (usually printed on a page or
in a leaflet) intended for wide distribution; "he mailed the
circular to all subscribers" [syn: circular, handbill, broadside, broadsheet, flier, flyer, throwaway]
8 a sign posted in a public place as an
advertisement; "a poster advertised the coming attractions" [syn:
poster, posting, placard, notice, card]
9 a long-handled saw with a curved blade; "he
used a bill to prune branches off of the tree" [syn: billhook]
10 a brim that projects to the front to shade the
eyes; "he pulled down the bill of his cap and trudged ahead" [syn:
peak, eyeshade, visor, vizor]
Verb
1 demand payment; "Will I get charged for this
service?"; "We were billed for 4 nights in the hotel, although we
stayed only 3 nights" [syn: charge]
2 advertise especially by posters or placards;
"He was billed as the greatest tenor since Caruso"
3 publicize or announce by placards [syn:
placard]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- /bɪl/
- Rhymes with: -ɪl
Noun
- 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. A common form of bill consisted of a
broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, having a short pike at the back and another at the
top, and attached to the end of a long staff.
-
- France had no infantry that dared to face the English bows and bills. — Macaulay.
- 1786: 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. — Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons.
-
Synonyms
- (cutting instrument): billhook, hand bill, hedge bill
- (somebody armed with a bill): billman
Translations
weapon of infantry
- Finnish: hilpari
- French: hallebarde
- Swedish: hillebard
cutting instrument
- Finnish: vesuri
- Swedish: faskinkniv
somebody armed with a bill
- French: hallebardier
- Swedish: hillebardiär
extremity of the arm of an anchor
- Finnish: kynsi
Derived terms
Translations
to work with a bill
- Finnish: hakata
- Swedish: hacka
Etymology 2
bile, of unknown origin.Noun
- The beak of a bird,
especially when small or flattish; sometimes also used with
reference to a turtle,
platypus, or other
animal.
- 1595: The woosel cock so black of hue, With orange-tawny bill, The throstle with his note so true, The wren with little quill... — William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III, Scene I, line 125.
- A beak-like projection, especially a promontory.
Derived terms
Translations
bird's beak
- Finnish: nokka
- French: bec
- German: Schnabel
- Irish: gob
- Russian: клюв
- Spanish: pico
- Swedish: näbb
beaklike projection
- Finnish: nokka
Verb
Translations
Noun
- A written list or inventory. (Now obsolete except in specific senses or set phrases; bill of lading, bill of goods, etc.)
- A document, originally sealed; a formal statement or official memorandum. (Now obsolete except with certain qualifying words; bill of health, bill of sale etc.)
- A draft of a law, presented to a legislature for enactment; a proposed or projected law.
- 1600: Why, I'll exhibit a bill in the parliament for the putting down of men. — William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act II, Scene I, line 28.
- 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.
- A piece of paper money; a banknote.
- 1830: Anon, The Galaxy of Wit: Or, Laughing Philosopher, Being a Collection of Choice Anecdotes, Many of Which Originated in or about "The Literary Emporium" — He gave the change for a three dollar bill. Upon examination, the bill proved to be counterfeit.
- A written note of goods sold, services rendered, or work done, with the price or charge; an invoice.
- 1607: My lord, here is my bill. — William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens, Act III, Scene IV, line 85.
- A paper, written or printed, and posted up or given away, to advertise something, as a
lecture, a play, or the sale of goods; a placard; a poster; a handbill.
- 1595: In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. — William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I, Scene II, line 104.
- She put up the bill in her parlor window. — Dickens.
- 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: Ay, and Rato-lorum too; and a gentleman born, Master Parson; who writes himself Armigero, in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, Armigero. — William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act I, Scene I, line 8.
Synonyms
- (account of goods): account, invoice
- (written or printed advertisement posted or otherwise distributed): broadsheet, broadside, card,circular, flier, flyer, handbill, poster, posting, placard, notice, throwaway
- (draft of a law): measure
- (writing binding the signer or signers to pay a certain sum at a future day): bank bill, banker's bill, bank note, banknote, Federal Reserve note, government note, greenback, note
Translations
written inventory
- Finnish: luettelo
official statement
- Finnish: julistus
- French: note, acte
- Italian: nota
- Swedish: förteckning , lista , intyg
draft of a law
- Finnish: lakiehdotus
- French: proposition / projet de loi
- German: Gesetzesentwurf
- Italian: disegno di legge
- Russian: законопроект (zakonoprojékt) , билль (bill’) in Britain
- Swedish: lagförslag , motion , proposition
law: declaration made in writing, stating some
wrong the complainant has suffered from the defendant
- Finnish: kanne
- French: greffe
- Russian: заявление (zajavl'énije)
piece of paper money
- Czech: bankovka
- Finnish: seteli
- German: Geldschein
invoice
advertisement
- Finnish: juliste
- French: tract
- Italian: poster , cartello pubblicitario
- Swedish: affisch, anslag, program
bill of exchange
- ttbc Interlingua: factura (1); nota, declaration (2); projecto de lege, bill (3)
- ttbc Irish: gob (6)
- ttbc Portuguese: fatura , conta ; nota , declaração (2); projeto de lei (3)
- ttbc Spanish: nota, cuenta (1), declaración (2), proposición de ley or proyecto de ley (3)
Derived terms
- bill of adventure
- bill of costs
- bill of credit
- bill of divorce
- bill of entry
- bill of exceptions
- bill of exchange
- bill of fare
- bill of goods
- bill of health
- bill of indictment
- bill of lading
- bill of mortality
- bill of pains and penalties
- bill of parcels
- bill of particulars
- bill of rights
- bill of sale
- bill of sight
- bill of store
- bill of sufferance
- bills payable
- bills receivable
- true bill
Verb
Translations
to advertise by a bill
- Swedish: affischera
to charge or enter in a bill
Extensive Definition
Bill may refer to:
Objects
- Billboard (advertising), a board on which to display advertising posters or displays
- Billhook, a long-handled saw (sometimes weapon) with a curved blade
- BILL Anti-tank guided weapon, a Swedish anti-tank weapon
- BILL 2 Anti-tank guided weapon, a Swedish anti-tank weapon
- Bill (payment), a document requesting payment for goods or services rendered
- Bill (proposed law), a law put before a legislature
- Bill (weapon), a weapon similar to a halberd
- Bill of lading, a document issued by a carrier receiving goods for transport
- Bill of materials, a document listing the parts needed to make a product
- Waybill, a document describing a shipment
Other objects called 'bill'
- Beak, an alternative name for a bird beak
- Paper currency or banknote, in North American usage
- Peninsulas of land jutting out into the sea, such as the 'Portland Bill'
- Police, with 'old bill' as a slang term in the UK
Entertainment
- Bill (1981
film), a 1981 TV movie starring Mickey Rooney
- Bill: On His Own, sequel the 1981 film
- Bill (album), an album by Tripping Daisy
- Bill (film), a 2008 comedy film
- Bill (song), a song by Peggy Scott-Adams
- The Bill, a long-running British police drama
- Bill (Kill Bill), character in the Kill Bill films
People
- Bill is a common nickname for William. See William (name) for more information on the history of the name William.
- Alfred H. Bill, American writer
- Bill W. (Bill Wilson), co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous
Others
- Bill the Goat, mascot of the US Naval Academy
- Bill the Pony, a pony appearing in The Lord of the Rings novel trilogy
- Bills, a Congolese youth subculture in the late 1950s, idolising cowboy Western movies
- Buffalo Bills, an American NFL football team
- Hurricane Bill, a list of storms named Bill
- Bill, Wyoming, a railroad crew-change station
- Bill Cosby, an American entertainer
- Bill Weasley, older brother of Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series
See also
bill in German: Bill
bill in Spanish: Bill
bill in French: Billet
bill in Italian: Bill
bill in Hebrew: שטר
bill in Dutch: Bill
bill in Japanese: ビル
bill in Low German: Bill
bill in Polish: Bill (ujednoznacznienie)
bill in Portuguese: Bill
bill in Chinese: 比爾
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
CD, Federal
Reserve note, IOU, MO, acceptance, acceptance bill,
account, accounts
payable, accounts receivable, act, advertise, affiche, affidavit, agenda, allegation, allowance, amount due,
antlia, assessment, assignat, bad debts, ballyhoo, bank acceptance, bank
check, bank note, banknote, bark, batting order, be a gas, be a
hit, beak, beezer, benefit, bill of account, bill
of complaint, bill of draft, bill of exchange, bill of fare, bill
of lading, bills, blackmail, blank check, blood
money, blueprint,
bomb, bone, book, books, boost, borrowing, breakwater, buck, budget, bugle, build up, bulletin, bylaw, calendar, call, call in, canon, cape, card, carte, carte du jour, certificate, certificate of
deposit, certified check, charge, charges, check, checkbook, cheque, chersonese, chits, circularize, claim, clause, commercial paper,
companion bills amendment, complaint, conk, coral reef, cry up, damage, debenture, debt, debut, declaration, decree, delta, demand bill, demand draft,
demand payment, deposition, dictate, dictation, docket, dollar bill, draft, dragnet clause, dramatize, due, due bill, dues, dun, edict, emolument, enacting clause,
enactment, entertainment, escalator
clause, establish,
exchequer bill, exhibit,
exhibition, fail, farewell performance,
feature, fee, fiat money, financial
commitment, fish, flesh
show, floating debt, flop,
folding money, footing,
foreland, form, formality, formula, formulary, fractional note,
frogskin, funded debt,
give a write-up, give publicity, government note, handbill, head, headland, headline, hold-up bill,
hook, hush money, indebtedness, indebtment, initiation fee,
institution,
invoice, iron man,
itemized bill, jaws,
joker, jus, law, ledger, legal-tender note,
legislation, letter
of credit, lex, liability, libel, line up, lineup, list of agenda, make a
hit, manifest, maturity, measure, melodramatize, menu, mileage, money order, motion, mount, muffle, mull, muzzle, nares, narratio, national bank note,
national debt, naze,
neb, negotiable instrument,
negotiable note, ness,
nib, nolle prosequi,
nonsuit, nose, nostrils, note, note of hand, nozzle, obligation, olfactory organ,
omnibus bill, open, open a
show, ordinance,
ordonnance,
outstanding debt, paper,
paper money, peak, pecker, peninsula, performance, placard, playbill, pledge, plug, point, post, post bills, post up, postal
order, premiere,
prescript, prescription, present, presentation, presentment, press-agent,
preview, privileged
question, proboscis,
produce, production, program, program of operation,
programma, promissory
note, promontory,
promote, prospectus, protocol, proviso, public debt, publicize, puff, put on, question, reckoning, reef, regulation, retainer, retaining fee,
rhinarium, rider, roster, rostrum, rubric, rule, ruling, sandspit, saving clause,
scenarize, schedule, schnozzle, score, scot, scrip, sell, send a statement, set the
stage, shinplaster,
show, sight bill, sight
draft, skin, slate, smacker, smeller, snoot, snout, spiel, spit, spur, stage, stage presentation,
standing order, star,
statement, statement
of facts, statute,
stipend, succeed, swan song, tab, tabulation, tally, theatrical performance,
theatricalize,
time bill, time draft, tongue, trade acceptance,
treasury bill, treasury note, tribute, trunk, try out, tryout, uncollectibles,
unfulfilled pledge, voucher, warrant, write
up