bill

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See also: Bill and bíll

English

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Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɪl/, [bɪɫ], enPR: bîl
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪl

Etymology 1

From Middle English bill, bille, bil, from Old English bil, bill (“a hooked point; curved weapon; two-edged sword”), from Proto-Germanic *bilją (“axe; sword; blade”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyH- (“to strike; beat”). Cognate with West Frisian bile (“axe”), Dutch bijl (“axe”), German Bille (“axe”).

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.
    • (Can we date this quote by Thomas Babington Macaulay and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      France had no infantry that dared to face the English bows and bills.
    • 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.
    Synonym: 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.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Strype to this entry?)
    Synonym: 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).
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

bill (third-person singular simple present bills, present participle billing, simple past and past participle billed)

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

Etymology 2

From Middle English bill, bil, bille, bile, from Old English bile (“beak (of a bird); trunk (of an elephant)”), of unknown origin. Perhaps from a special use of Old English bil, bill (“hook; sword”) (see above).

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...
    • 2014 December 23, Olivia Judson, “The hemiparasite season [print version: Under the hemiparasite, International New York Times, 24–25 December 2014, page 7]”, in The New York Times‎[1], archived from the original on 23 December 2014:
      […] The flesh [of the mistletoe berry] is sticky, and forms strings and ribbons between my thumb and forefinger. For the mistletoe, this viscous goop – and by the way, viscous comes to English from viscum – is crucial. The stickiness means that, after eating the berries, birds often regurgitate the seeds and then wipe their bills on twigs – leading to the seeds' getting glued to the tree, where they can germinate and begin the cycle anew.
    Synonyms: beak, neb, nib, pecker
  2. A beak-like projection, especially a promontory.
  3. Of a cap or hat: the brim or peak, serving as a shade to keep sun off the face and out of the eyes.
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

bill (third-person singular simple present bills, present participle billing, simple past and past participle billed)

  1. (obsolete) to peck
  2. to stroke bill against bill, with reference to doves; to caress in fondness
    • (Can we date this quote by unknown and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?) 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

Etymology 3

From Middle English bille, from Anglo-Norman bille, from Old French bulle, from Medieval Latin bulla (“seal", "sealed document”). Compare bull.

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.
    • 2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly‎[2], volume 188, number 2, page 23:
      David Cameron insists that his latest communications data bill is “vital to counter terrorism”. Yet terror is mayhem. It is no threat to freedom. That threat is from counter-terror, from ministers capitulating to securocrats.
    Synonym: 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.
  5. (US) 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.
  6. A written note of goods sold, services rendered, or work done, with the price or charge; an invoice.
    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.
    • (Can we date this quote by Dickens and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      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.
    • 2017 June 26, Alexis Petridis, “Glastonbury 2017 verdict: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Lorde, Stormzy and more”, in the Guardian‎[3]:
      Meanwhile, the bills on the main stages skewed towards mainstream pop, with mixed results. Lorde’s Friday evening Other stage appearance was one of the weekend’s highlights. The staging and choreography were fantastic – a giant glass tank on a hydraulic platform, in and around which a troupe of dancers acted out the highs and lows of a teenage party
Derived terms
Translations
piece of paper money — see banknote
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also

Verb

bill (third-person singular simple present bills, present participle billing, simple past and past participle billed)

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

Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

bill (plural bills)

  1. The bell, or boom, of the bittern.
    • (Can we date this quote by Wordsworth and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      The bittern's hollow bill was heard.

Cimbrian

Etymology 1

From Middle High German wille, from Old High German willo (“will, wish, desire”). Cognate with German Wille.

Noun

bill m

  1. (Sette Comuni) will (legal document)
    Synonym: testamentén

Etymology 2

From Middle High German wilde, from Old High German wildi (“wild”). Cognate with German wild.

Adjective

bill (comparative billor, superlative dar billorste)

  1. (Sette Comuni) wild, crazy, mad
Declension
Positive forms of bill
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative èar ist bill zi ist bill is ist bill ze zèint bill
with definite article nominative dar bille de billa 's bille de billen
accusative in billen de billa 's bille de billen
dative me billen dar billen me billen in billen
with indefinite article nominative an billar an billa an billes (khòone) billen
accusative an billen an billa an billes (khòone) billen
dative aname billen anara billen aname billen (khòonen) billen
without article nominative bille
accusative bille
dative billen
Comparative forms of bill
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative èar ist billor zi ist billor is ist billor ze zèint billor
with definite article nominative dar billore de billora 's billore de billorn
accusative in billorn de billora 's billore de billorn
dative me billorn dar billorn me billorn in billorn
with indefinite article nominative an billorar an billora an billors (khòone) billorn
accusative an billorn an billora an billors (khòone) billorn
dative aname billorn anara billorn aname billorn (khòonen) billorn
without article nominative billore
accusative billore
dative billorn
Superlative forms of bill
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative èar ist dar billorste zi ist dar billorsta is ist dar billorste ze zèint dar billorste
with definite article nominative dar billorste de billorsta 's billorste de billorsten
accusative in billorsten de billorsta 's billorste de billorsten
dative me billorsten dar billorsten me billorsten in billorsten
with indefinite article nominative an billorstar an billorsta an billorstes (khòone) billorsten
accusative an billorsten an billorsta an billorstes (khòone) billorsten
dative aname billorsten anara billorsten aname billorsten (khòonen) billorsten
without article nominative billorste
accusative billorste
dative billorsten
Derived terms

References

  • “bill” in Martalar, Umberto Martello, Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

French

Pronunciation

Noun

bill m (plural bills)

  1. (law) bill (draft UK law)
  2. (Canada) bill (invoice in a restaurant etc)

Swedish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Old Swedish bilder, from Old Norse bíldr, from Proto-Germanic *bīþlaz (“axe”). An instrumental derivation of *bītaną (“to bite”). Closely related to bila (“broadaxe”).

Noun

bill c

  1. (agriculture) a share; the cutting blade of a plough
Declension
Declension of bill 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative bill billen billar billarna
Genitive bills billens billars billarnas
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English bill, from Middle English bille, from Anglo-Norman bille, from Old French bulle, from Medieval Latin bulla (“seal, sealed document”). Doublet of bulla.

Noun

bill c

  1. (law) a draft of a law in English-speaking countries
Declension
Declension of bill 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative bill billen biller billerna
Genitive bills billens billers billernas

References

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