noun
- a statement of money owed for goods or services supplied: He paid the hotel bill when he checked out.
- a piece of paper money worth a specified amount: a ten-dollar bill.
- Government. a form or draft of a proposed statute presented to a legislature, but not yet enacted or passed and made law.
- bill of exchange.
- a written or printed public notice or advertisement.
- any written paper containing a statement of particulars: a bill of expenditures.
- Law. a written statement, usually of complaint, presented to a court.
- Slang. one hundred dollars: The job pays five bills a week.
- playbill.
- entertainment scheduled for presentation; program: a good bill at the movies.
- Obsolete.
- a promissory note.
- a written and sealed document.
- a written, formal petition.
verb (used with object)
- to charge for by bill; send a bill to: The store will bill me.
- to enter (charges) in a bill; make a bill or list of: to bill goods.
- to advertise by bill or public notice: A new actor was billed for this week.
- to schedule on a program: The management billed the play for two weeks.
- fill the bill, to fulfill the purpose or need well: As a sprightly situation comedy this show fills the bill.
noun
- money owed for goods or services suppliedan electricity bill
- a written or printed account or statement of money owed
- mainly British such an account for food and drink in a restaurant, hotel, etcUsual US and Canadian word: check
- any printed or written list of items, events, etc, such as a theatre programmewho’s on the bill tonight?
- fit the bill or fill the bill informal to serve or perform adequately
- a statute in draft, before it becomes law
- a printed notice or advertisement; poster
- US and Canadian a piece of paper money; note
- an obsolete name for promissory note
- law See bill of indictment
- See bill of exchange
- See bill of fare
- archaic any document
verb (tr)
- to send or present an account for payment to (a person)
- to enter (items, goods, etc) on an account or statement
- to advertise by posters
- to schedule as a future programmethe play is billed for next week
noun
- the mouthpart of a bird, consisting of projecting jaws covered with a horny sheath; beak. It varies in shape and size according to the type of food eaten and may also be used as a weapon
- any beaklike mouthpart in other animals
- a narrow promontoryPortland Bill
- nautical the pointed tip of the fluke of an anchor
verb (intr)
- (of birds, esp doves) to touch bills together
- (of lovers) to kiss and whisper amorously
noun
- a pike or halberd with a narrow hooked blade
- short for billhook
noun
- ornithol another word for boom 1 (def. 4)
“written statement,” mid-14c., from Anglo-French bille, Anglo-Latin billa “list,” from Medieval Latin bulla “decree, seal, sealed document,” in classical Latin “bubble, boss, stud, amulet for the neck” (hence “seal;” see bull (n.2)). Sense of “account, invoice” first recorded c.1400; that of “order to pay” (technically bill of exchange) is from 1570s; that of “paper money” is from 1660s. Meaning “draft of an act of Parliament” is from 1510s.
“bird’s beak,” Old English bill “bill, bird’s beak,” related to bill, a poetic word for a kind of sword (especially one with a hooked blade), from a common Germanic word for cutting or chopping weapons (cf. Old High German bihal, Old Norse bilda “hatchet,” Old Saxon bil “sword”), from PIE root *bheie- “to cut, to strike” (cf. Armenian bir “cudgel,” Greek phitos “block of wood,” Old Church Slavonic biti “to strike,” Old Irish biail “ax”). Used also in Middle English of beak-like projections of land (e.g. Portland Bill).
“to send someone a bill of charge,” 1864, from bill (n.1). Related: Billed; billing.
ancient weapon, Old English bill “sword (especially one with a hooked blade), chopping tool,” common Germanic (cf. Old Saxon bil “sword,” Middle Dutch bile, Dutch bijl, Old High German bihal, German Beil, Old Norse bilda “hatchet.” See bill (n.2).
Serve a particular purpose well, as in I was afraid there wasn’t enough chicken for everyone, but this casserole will fill the bill, or Karen’s testimony just fills the bill, so we’re sure to get a conviction. This expression alludes to adding less-known performers to a program (or bill) in order to make a long enough entertainment. [First half of 1800s]
see clean bill of health; fill the bill; foot the bill; sell a bill of goods.