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bill¹

(bĭl)

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.

a. A piece of legal paper money: a ten-dollar bill.

b. Slang One hundred dollars.

a. A bill of exchange.

b. Obsolete A promissory note.

a. A draft of a proposed law presented for approval to a legislative body.

b. The law enacted from such a draft: a bottle bill in effect in three states; the GI Bill.

8. Law

a. A document containing the formal statement of a case in equity; a complaint seeking equitable relief.

b. An indictment or charge in an indictment against an accused person.

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.

a. To advertise or schedule by public notice or as part of a program.

b. 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)

1. A structure projecting from the head of a bird, consisting of the jaws and their horny covering and including the upper and lower mandibles; a beak.

2. A similar horny 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.

Idiom:

bill and coo

To kiss or caress and murmur endearments.

[Middle English, from Old English bile.]

bill³

(bĭl)

1. A billhook.

2. A halberd or similar weapon with a hooked blade and a long handle.

[Middle English bil, from Old English bill.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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