I. bill 1 S1 W1 /bɪl/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Sense 1-7, 9: Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: billa , from Latin bulla 'bubble, seal added to a document' ; ⇨ ↑ boil 1 ]
[ Sense 8,10: Language: Old English ; Origin: bile ]
[ Sense 11: Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Old Bill ]
1 . REQUEST FOR PAYMENT a written list showing how much you have to pay for services you have received, work that has been done etc
bill for
The bill for the repairs came to $650.
Have you paid the phone bill?
2 . RESTAURANT especially British English a list showing how much you have to pay for food you have eaten in a restaurant SYN check American English :
Could we have the bill, please?
3 . LAW a written proposal for a new law, that is brought to a parliament so that it can be discussed
approve/pass/veto a bill
The House of Representatives passed a new gun-control bill.
The senator introduced a bill that would increase the minimum wage.
4 . MONEY American English a piece of paper money SYN note British English ⇨ coin :
a five-dollar bill
5 . fit/fill the bill to be exactly what you need:
This car fits the bill perfectly. It’s cheap and gets good mileage.
6 . CONCERT/SHOW ETC a programme of entertainment at a theatre, concert, cinema etc, with details of who is performing, what is being shown etc:
Tricia topped the bill (=was the most important performer) at the Children’s Variety Show.
7 . give somebody/something a clean bill of health to officially state that someone is in good health or that something is working correctly:
Maddox was given a clean bill of health.
8 . BIRD a bird’s beak
9 . ADVERTISEMENT a printed notice advertising an event
10 . PART OF A HAT American English the front part that sticks out on a hat such as a ↑ baseball cap
11 . the (old) bill British English spoken the police
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ pay a bill
Most people pay their bills on time.
▪ settle a bill (=pay it)
She went down to the lobby to settle the bill for their rooms.
▪ foot the bill/pick up the bill (=pay for something, especially when you do not want to)
Taxpayers will probably have to foot the bill.
▪ run up a bill (=use a lot of something so that you have a big bill to pay)
It’s easy to run up a big bill on your mobile phone.
▪ face a bill (=have a lot to pay on a bill)
They were facing a mounting legal bill.
▪ cut/reduce a bill
We need to find a way to cut our fuel bill.
▪ a bill comes to something (=is for that amount)
The bill came to $60.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + bill
▪ a big/huge bill
Turn off the lights or we’ll get a huge electricity bill.
▪ an electricity/gas/phone etc bill
I’ll have to pay the gas bill too next month.
▪ a hotel bill
He paid the hotel bill by credit card.
▪ a tax bill
There are various ways you can reduce your tax bill.
▪ an unpaid bill
She had unpaid bills amounting to £3,000.
▪ an outstanding bill (=still unpaid)
He still didn’t have enough to pay his outstanding bills.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ bill a piece of paper that tells you how much you must pay:
Many families are struggling to pay their bills.
|
a credit card bill
|
We got a huge phone bill.
|
I asked the waiter to bring me the bill.
▪ check American English a bill that tells you how much you must pay in a restaurant:
Can I have the check, please?
▪ invoice a document that lists the goods that a company has sent, or the services they have provided, and tells you how much you must pay. It is often sent from one company to another company:
Payment is due ten days after receipt of the invoice.
▪ tab informal a bill that is added up at the end of a period of time, especially for food or drinks that you have had in a restaurant or hotel:
People staying in the hotel can order food or drinks to be put on their tab.
II. bill 2 BrE AmE verb
1 . [transitive] to send someone a bill:
Clients will be billed monthly.
bill somebody for something
I was billed for equipment that I didn’t order.
2 . be billed to do something if someone is billed to appear, perform etc somewhere, it has been planned and advertised that they will do this:
Johnson was billed to speak at two conferences.
3 . bill and coo old-fashioned to kiss and talk softly
bill something as something phrasal verb
to advertise or describe something in a particular way:
The castle bills itself as the oldest in England.