Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
bill - 21 dictionary results
United states bill
 Free Legal Information & Research on US Constitution, Federal Laws.
 www.FindLaw.com

bill

1  [bil]
Use bill in a Sentence
–noun
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. Government. a form or draft of a proposed statute presented to a legislature, but not yet enacted or passed and made law.
4. 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. Obsolete.
a. a promissory note.
b. a written and sealed document.
c. a written, formal petition.
–verb (used with object)
12. to charge for by bill; send a bill to: The store will bill me.
13. to enter (charges) in a bill; make a bill or list of: to bill goods.
14. to advertise by bill or public notice: A new actor was billed for this week.
15. to schedule on a program: The management billed the play for two weeks.
—Idiom
16. fill the bill, to fulfill the purpose or need well: As a sprightly situation comedy this show fills the bill.
Origin:
1300–50; ME bille < AF < AL billa for LL bulla bull 2

Related forms:
biller, noun

Synonyms:
1. reckoning, invoice, statement. 5. bulletin, handbill, poster, placard, announcement, circular, throwaway, flyer, broadside.

bill

2  [bil]
–noun
1. the parts of a bird's jaws that are covered with a horny or leathery sheath; beak.
2. the visor of a cap or other head covering.
3. a beaklike promontory or headland.
–verb (used without object)
4. to join bills or beaks, as doves.
—Idiom
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.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME bile, bille, OE bile beak, trunk; akin to bill 3

bill

3  [bil]
–noun
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. Nautical. the extremity of a fluke of an anchor.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME bil, OE bill sword; c. OHG bil pickax

bill

4  [bil]
–noun British Dialect.
the cry of the bittern.
Origin:
1780–90; akin to bell 2 , bellow

Bill

  [bil]
–noun
a male given name, form of William.

Cos⋅by

  [kawz-bee, koz‑]
–noun
William Henry (Bill), born 1937, U.S. comedian and actor.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bill
bill 1   (bĭl)   
n.  
  1. An itemized list or statement of fees or charges.
  2. A statement or list of particulars, such as a theater program or menu.
  3. The entertainment offered by a theater.
  4. A public notice, such as an advertising poster.
    1. A piece of legal paper money: a ten-dollar bill.
    2. Slang One hundred dollars.
    3. A bill of exchange.
    4. Obsolete A promissory note.
    5. A draft of a proposed law presented for approval to a legislative body.
    6. The law enacted from such a draft: a bottle bill in effect in three states; the GI Bill.
    1. A bill of exchange.
    2. Obsolete A promissory note.
    3. A draft of a proposed law presented for approval to a legislative body.
    4. The law enacted from such a draft: a bottle bill in effect in three states; the GI Bill.
    1. A draft of a proposed law presented for approval to a legislative body.
    2. The law enacted from such a draft: a bottle bill in effect in three states; the GI Bill.
  8. Law A document presented to a court and containing a formal statement of a case, complaint, or petition.
tr.v.   billed, bill·ing, bills
  1. To present a statement of costs or charges to.
  2. To enter on a statement of costs or on a particularized list.
    1. To advertise or schedule by public notice or as part of a program.
    2. To declare or describe officially; proclaim: a policy that was billed as an important departure for the administration.

[Middle English bille, from Norman French, from Medieval Latin billa, alteration of bulla, seal on a document, from Latin, bubble.]
bill'a·ble adj.
bill 2   (bĭl)   
n.  
  1. The horny part of the jaws of a bird; a beak.
  2. A beaklike mouth part, such as that of a turtle.
  3. The visor of a cap.
  4. Nautical The tip of the fluke of an anchor.
intr.v.   billed, bill·ing, bills
To touch beaks together.

[Middle English, from Old English bile.]
bill 3   (bĭl)   
n.  
  1. A billhook.
  2. A halberd or similar weapon with a hooked blade and a long handle.

[Middle English bil, from Old English bill.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Bill

Bill\, n. [OE. bile, bille, AS. bile beak of a bird, proboscis; cf. Ir. & Gael. bil, bile, mouth, lip, bird's bill. Cf. Bill a weapon.] A beak, as of a bird, or sometimes of a turtle or other animal. --Milton.

Bill

Bill\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Billed; p. pr. & vb. n. Billing.]

1. To strike; to peck. [Obs.]

2. To join bills, as doves; to caress in fondness. "As pigeons bill." --Shak.

To bill and coo, to interchange caresses; -- said of doves; also of demonstrative lovers. --Thackeray.

Bill

Bill\, n. The bell, or boom, of the bittern

The bittern's hollow bill was heard. --Wordsworth.

Bill

Bill\, n. [OE. bil, AS. bill, bil; akin to OS. bil sword, OHG. bill pickax, G. bille. Cf. Bill bea?.]

1. A cutting instrument, with hook-shaped point, and fitted with a handle; -- used in pruning, etc.; a billhook. When short, called a hand bill, when long, a hedge bill.

2. A weapon of infantry, 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 end bills. --Macaulay.

3. One who wields a bill; a billman. --Strype.

4. A pickax, or mattock. [Obs.]

5. (Naut.) The extremity of the arm of an anchor; the point of or beyond the fluke.

Bill

Bill\, v. t. To work upon ( as to dig, hoe, hack, or chop anything) with a bill.

Bill

Bill\, n. [OE. bill, bille, fr. LL. billa (or OF. bille), for L. bulla anything rounded, LL., seal, stamp, letter, edict, roll; cf. F. bille a ball, prob. fr. Ger.; cf. MHG. bickel, D. bikkel, dice. Cf. Bull papal edict, Billet a paper.]

1. (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.

2. 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. [Eng.]

Note: In the United States, it is usually called a note, a note of hand, or a promissory note.

3. A form or draft of a law, presented to a legislature for enactment; a proposed or projected law.

4. 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.

She put up the bill in her parlor window. --Dickens.

5. An account of goods sold, services rendered, or work done, with the price or charge; a statement of a creditor's claim, in gross or by items; as, a grocer's bill.

6. Any paper, containing a statement of particulars; as, a bill of charges or expenditures; a weekly bill of mortality; a bill of fare, etc.

Bill of adventure. See under Adventure.

Bill of costs, a statement of the items which form the total amount of the costs of a party to a suit or action.

Bill of credit. (a) Within the constitution of the United States, a paper issued by a State, on the mere faith and credit of the State, and designed to circulate as money. No State shall "emit bills of credit." --U. S. Const. --Peters. --Wharton. --Bouvier (b) Among merchants, a letter sent by an agent or other person to a merchant, desiring him to give credit to the bearer for goods or money.

Bill of divorce, in the Jewish law, a writing given by the husband to the wife, by which the marriage relation was dissolved. --Jer. iii. 8.

Bill of entry, a written account of goods entered at the customhouse, whether imported or intended for exportation.

Bill of exceptions. See under Exception.

Bill of exchange (Com.), a written order or request from one person or house to another, desiring the latter to pay to some person designated a certain sum of money therein generally is, and, to be negotiable, must be, made payable to order or to bearer. So also the order generally expresses a specified time of payment, and that it is drawn for value. The person who draws the bill is called the drawer, the person on whom it is drawn is, before acceptance, called the drawee, -- after acceptance, the acceptor; the person to whom the money is directed to be paid is called the payee. The person making the order may himself be the payee. The bill itself is frequently called a draft. See Exchange. --Chitty.

Bill of fare, a written or printed enumeration of the dishes served at a public table, or of the dishes (with prices annexed) which may be ordered at a restaurant, etc.

Bill of health, a certificate from the proper authorities as to the state of health of a ship's company at the time of her leaving port.

Bill of indictment, a written accusation lawfully presented to a grand jury. If the jury consider the evidence sufficient to support the accusation, they indorse it "A true bill," otherwise they write upon it "Not a true bill," or "Not found," or "Ignoramus", or "Ignored."

Bill of lading, a written account of goods shipped by any person, signed by the agent of the owner of the vessel, or by its master, acknowledging the receipt of the goods, and promising to deliver them safe at the place directed, dangers of the sea excepted. It is usual for the master to sign two, three, or four copies of the bill; one of which he keeps in possession, one is kept by the shipper, and one is sent to the consignee of the goods.

Bill of mortality, an official statement of the number of deaths in a place or district within a given time; also, a district required to be covered by such statement; as, a place within the bills of mortality of London.

Bill of pains and penalties, a special act of a legislature which inflicts a punishment less than death upon persons supposed to be guilty of treason or felony, without any conviction in the ordinary course of judicial proceedings. --Bouvier. --Wharton.

Bill of parcels, an account given by the seller to the buyer of the several articles purchased, with the price of each.

Bill of particulars (Law), a detailed statement of the items of a plaintiff's demand in an action, or of the defendant's set-off.

Bill of rights, a summary of rights and privileges claimed by a people. Such was the declaration presented by the Lords and Commons of England to the Prince and Princess of Orange in 1688, and enacted in Parliament after they became king and queen. In America, a bill or declaration of rights is prefixed to most of the constitutions of the several States.

Bill of sale, a formal instrument for the conveyance or transfer of goods and chattels.

Bill of sight, a form of entry at the customhouse, by which goods, respecting which the importer is not possessed of full information, may be provisionally landed for examination.

Bill of store, a license granted at the customhouse to merchants, to carry such stores and provisions as are necessary for a voyage, custom free. --Wharton.

Bills payable (pl.), the outstanding unpaid notes or acceptances made and issued by an individual or firm.

Bills receivable (pl.), the unpaid promissory notes or acceptances held by an individual or firm. --McElrath.

A true bill, a bill of indictment sanctioned by a grand jury.

Bill

Bill\, v. t. 1. To advertise by a bill or public notice.

2. To charge or enter in a bill; as, to bill goods.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : bill
Spanish: pico,
German: der Schnabel,
Japanese: くちばし
More Translations »

bill  (1)
"written statement," c.1340, from Anglo-L. billa "list," from M.L. bulla "decree, seal, document," in classical L. "bubble, boss, stud, amulet for the neck" (hence "seal;" see bull (2)). Sense of "account, invoice" first recorded 1404; that of "order to pay" (technically bill of exchange) is from 1579; that of "paper money" is from 1670. Meaning "draft of an act of Parliament" is from 1512. The verb meaning "to send someone a bill of charge" is from 1867. Billboard is from 1851.

bill  (2)
"bird's beak," O.E., related to bil, a poetic word for "a kind of sword" (especially one with a hooked blade), common Gmc. word for cutting weapons (cf. O.H.G. bihal, O.N. bilda "hatchet," O.S. bil "sword"), from PIE base *bhei- "to cut." Used also in M.E. of beak-like projections of land.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

bill

  1. A Treasury bill.
  2. See due bill.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source

Main Entry: bill
Function: noun
1 : a draft of a law presented to a legislature for enactment; also : the law itself bill>
ap·pro·pri·a·tions bill
/&-"prO-prE-'A-sh&nz-/
: a bill providing money for government expenses and programs
NOTE: Appropriations bills originate in the House of Representatives.
bill of attainder
1 : a legislative act formerly permitted that attainted a person and imposed a sentence of death without benefit of a judicial trial —see also ATTAINDER —compare BILL OF PAINS AND PENALTIES in this entry
2 : a legislative act that imposes any punishment on a named or implied individual or group without a trial
NOTE: Bills of attainder are prohibited by Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
bill of pains and penalties
: a legislative act formerly permitted that imposed a punishment less severe than death without benefit of a judicial trial —compare BILL OF ATTAINDER in this entry
NOTE: The term bill of attainder is often used to include bills of pains and penalties. Bills of pains and penalties are included in the constitutional ban on bills of attainder.
clean bill
: a bill in its form as amended and newly introduced to the legislature by a legislative committee
engrossed bill
: a bill printed in the form in which it was passed by one chamber of Congress and certified by the appropriate legislative official
enrolled bill
: a copy of a bill in the form in which it is passed in the legislature including all changes introduced before enactment that is kept as evidence of the law
House bill
: a bill originating in the House of Representatives
money bill
: REVENUE BILL in this entry
om·ni·bus bill
/'äm-ni-"b&s-/
: a bill that includes a number of miscellaneous provisions or appropriations
private bill
: a bill affecting a particular person, organization, or locality as distinguished from all the people or the whole area of a political unit
public bill
: a bill affecting the community (as a nation or state) at large
revenue bill
: a bill (as for imposing a tax) for raising money for any public purpose called also money bill
NOTE: The U.S. Constitution requires all bills for raising revenue to originate in the House of Representatives.
2 : the pleading used to begin a suit in equity that sets forth the basis for one's claim against another called also bill in equity
3 a : a form or device of procedure used in civil actions
bill in the na·ture of a bill of review
: an equitable bill seeking to have a court decree set aside that is brought by someone who was not a party to the original suit usually before the decree is entered in the record —compare BILL OF REVIEW in this entry
NOTE: Bills in the nature of a bill of review were abolished in federal practice by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b).
bill in the na·ture of interpleader
: a bill of interpleader in which the plaintiff is allowed to claim an interest in the subject matter of the suit —compare BILL OF INTERPLEADER in this entry, INTERPLEADER
NOTE: In federal practice, bills in the nature of interpleader have been abandoned in favor of interpleader as described in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 22.
bill of complaint
: COMPLAINT —used esp. in equity actions
bill of costs
: a bill setting forth the expenses in connection with a suit that a party seeks to have paid by an opposing party
bill of exceptions
: a bill setting forth the exceptions and objections to rulings made at trial and the evidence relevant to them for the purpose of appeal or other review
NOTE: Bills of exceptions are no longer required in federal practice under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, but they are still used in some state courts.
bill of interpleader
: a bill brought by a plaintiff who seeks a court determination of the conflicting claims of two or more defendants to the subject matter of the suit (as money owed by the plaintiff) and who has no interest in the subject matter and no preference as to which defendant prevails called also strict bill of interpleader —compare BILL IN THE NATURE OF INTERPLEADER in this entry, INTERPLEADER
NOTE: Under most modern rules of procedure, the requirements for interpleader have been relaxed and the distinction between a bill of interpleader and a bill in the nature of interpleader no longer exists.
bill of par·tic·u·lars
/-p&r-'ti-ky&-l&rz/
: a bill containing a detailed listing and explanation of the claims made by the plaintiff
NOTE: Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12, bills of particulars have been abandoned in favor of the expanded rules for discovery and the motion for a more definite statement.
bill of peace
: an equitable bill used to settle the rights of parties in one suit and avoid repeated litigation
bill of review
: an equitable bill used to start a suit to have the final judgment of a previous suit set aside —compare BILL IN THE NATURE OF A BILL OF REVIEW in this entry
NOTE: Bills of review are used when another device for review, such as appeal, is not available, as when the period to bring it has expired. Bills of review are abolished in federal practice by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b).
creditor's bill
: an equitable bill by which a creditor who has won a court judgment against a debtor can compel payment from the debtor out of the property that is not otherwise reachable by legal process
cross bill
: an equitable bill by which a party to a suit can bring a claim against any other party
NOTE: Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 13, cross bills are replaced by counterclaims and cross-claims.
strict bill of interpleader
: BILL OF INTERPLEADER in this entry b : a device or instrument used in criminal procedure
bill of indictment
: an instrument that contains the charges against a defendant and that is presented to a grand jury for determination after a preliminary hearing whether there is enough evidence to issue an indictment called also indictment —compare NO BILL and, TRUE BILL in this entry
bill of information
: INFORMATION
bill of par·tic·u·lars
/-p&r-'ti-ky&-l&rz/
: a bill that a defendant may request in which the prosecution sets out in detail the facts forming the basis for the criminal charges against the defendant
no bill
: a bill returned by a grand jury that has determined the evidence in a bill of indictment to be insufficient to warrant prosecution; also : the finding of the grand jury that the evidence is insufficient called also ignoramus no true bill
true bill
: a bill returned by a grand jury that has found the evidence in a bill of indictment sufficient to warrant prosecution : INDICTMENT
4 : an itemized account of goods sold, services performed, or work done
5 : a written instrument setting out the terms of a transaction involving goods: as a : BILL OF LADING b : BILL OF SALE
6 : a piece of paper money
7 : a written instrument providing proof of an obligation to pay money
bill of credit
: an instrument written by a banker certifying to another that a person named in the instrument is entitled to draw on the banker's funds or credit up to a certain amount : LETTER OF CREDIT
bill of exchange
: an instrument by one party directing another party to pay a named third party or anyone bearing it a specific amount of money on a named future date or on demand; also : DRAFT
due bill
: a bill given by a bank to the purchaser of a security in place of he security itself that entitles the purchaser to receive payment upon presentation
Treasury bill
: a short-term obligation sold by the government at a discount that bears no interest but is payable at its face value at maturity —compare Treasury bond at BOND 2 Treasury note at NOTE
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

bill

see clean bill of health; fill the bill; foot the bill; sell a bill of goods.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see bill on Thesaurus | Reference
United states bill
 Free Legal Information & Research on US Constitution, Federal Laws.
 www.FindLaw.com