bill 1
— biller , n.
/bil/ , n.
1. a statement of money owed for goods or services supplied: He paid the hotel bill when he checked out.
2. a piece of paper money worth a specified amount: a ten-dollar bill.
3. Govt. a form or draft of a proposed statute presented to a legislature, but not yet enacted or passed and made law.
4. See bill of exchange .
5. a written or printed public notice or advertisement.
6. any written paper containing a statement of particulars: a bill of expenditures.
7. Law. a written statement, usually of complaint, presented to a court.
8. Slang. one hundred dollars: The job pays five bills a week.
9. playbill.
10. entertainment scheduled for presentation; program: a good bill at the movies.
11. Obs.
a. a promissory note.
b. a written and sealed document.
c. a written, formal petition.
12. fill the bill , to fulfill the purpose or need well: As a sprightly situation comedy this show fills the bill.
v.t.
13. to charge for by bill; send a bill to: The store will bill me.
14. to enter (charges) in a bill; make a bill or list of: to bill goods.
15. to advertise by bill or public notice: A new actor was billed for this week.
16. to schedule on a program: The management billed the play for two weeks.
[ 1300-50; ME bille billa for LL bulla BULL 2 ]
Syn. 1. reckoning, invoice, statement. 5. bulletin, handbill, poster, placard, announcement, circular, throwaway, flyer, broadside.
bill 2
/bil/ , n.
1. the parts of a bird's jaws that are covered with a horny or leathery sheath; beak. See diag. under bird .
2. the visor of a cap or other head covering.
3. a beaklike promontory or headland.
v.i.
4. to join bills or beaks, as doves.
5. bill and coo , to kiss or fondle and whisper endearments, as lovers: My sister and her boyfriend were billing and cooing on the front porch.
[ bef. 1000; ME bile, bille, OE bile beak, trunk; akin to BILL 3 ]
bill 3
/bil/ , n.
1. a medieval shafted weapon having at its head a hooklike cutting blade with a beak at the back.
2. Also called billman . a person armed with a bill.
3. Also called billhook . a sharp, hooked instrument used for pruning, cutting, etc.
4. Also called pea . Naut. the extremity of a fluke of an anchor. See diag. under anchor .
[ bef. 1000; ME bil, OE bill sword; c. OHG bil pickax ]
bill 4
/bil/ , n. Brit. Dial.
the cry of the bittern.
[ 1780-90; akin to BELL 2 , BELLOW ]