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bil·let²

(bĭlĭt)

1. A short, thick piece of wood, especially one used as firewood.

2. One of a series of regularly spaced, log-shaped segments used as an ornamental motif on moldings in Norman architecture.

a. A small, usually rectangular bar of iron or steel in an intermediate stage of manufacture.

b. A small ingot of nonferrous metal.

a. The part of a harness strap that passes through a buckle.

b. A loop or pocket for securing the end of a buckled harness strap.

[Middle English, from Old French billette, diminutive of bille, log, from Vulgar Latin *bilia, possibly of Celtic origin.]

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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