<B>bill</B> (2), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the horny part of the jaws of a bird; beak. <BR> <I>Ex. the bill of a pigeon or a duck.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>anything shaped somewhat like a bird's bill. <BR> <I>Ex. the bill of a turtle.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to join beaks; touch bills. <BR> <I>Ex. We saw two doves billing on the roof.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to show affection; caress in fondness. <BR><I>expr. <B>bill and coo,</B> </I>to kiss and talk softly, as pigeons touch bills and coo. <BR> <I>Ex. Jenny and Jessamy ... billing and cooing in an arbour (Thackeray).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bill">
<B>bill</B> (3), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an old military weapon consisting of a spear with a hook-shaped blade and a spike at the back; halberd. <DD><B> 2. </B>a tool for pruning or cutting wood or lopping trees or hedges; billhook. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=billman.</B> <DD><B> 4. </B>the point of the fluke of an anchor. </DL>
<A NAME="bill">
<B>bill</B> (4), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the booming cry of the bittern. <BR> <I>Ex. When first the bittern's hollow bill was heard (Wordsworth).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="billabong">
<B>billabong, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> in Australia: <DD><B> 1. </B>a branch of a river flowing away from the main stream. <DD><B> 2. </B>a backwater or stagnant pool. </DL>
<A NAME="billbergia">
<B>billbergia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a tropical American plant related to the pineapple, having stiff leaves and colorful flowers. </DL>
<A NAME="billboard">
<B>billboard</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a signboard, usually outdoors, on which to display advertisements or post notices. </DL>
<A NAME="billboard">
<B>billboard</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a ledge projecting from the side of a ship near the bow, as a rest for the bill of an anchor. </DL>
<A NAME="billbroker">
<B>bill broker,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a person who negotiates the discount of bills of exchange. </DL>
<A NAME="billbug">
<B>billbug, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any weevil, especially one of the family of the snout beetles. </DL>
<A NAME="billed">
<B>billed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having a bill or beak (usually as part of a compound). <BR> <I>Ex. a short-billed bird.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="billet">
<B>billet</B> (1), noun, verb, <B>-leted,</B> <B>-leting.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a written order to provide board and lodging for a soldier. <DD><B> 2. </B>a place where a soldier is lodged. (SYN) lodging, station. <DD><B> 3. </B>a job; situation; position. (SYN) post, appointment. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Archaic.) a place assigned, as to each of the crew of a man-of-war for slinging his hammock. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Archaic.) a short letter or note. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to assign to quarters by billet. <BR> <I>Ex. Soldiers were billeted in all houses of the village.</I> (SYN) quarter. <DD><B> 2. </B>to provide quarters for; lodge. <BR> <I>Ex. The farmer billeted five hired men during the harvest season.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to have quarters. </DL>
<A NAME="billet">
<B>billet</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a thick stick of wood, especially one for fuel. <DD><B> 2. </B>a short bar of iron or steel. <DD><B> 3. </B>an architectural ornament shaped like a wooden billet or a short cylinder, used, especially in medieval styles, in horizontal strings or series along a molding. <DD><B> 4. </B>in saddlery: <DD><B> a. </B>a strap which enters a buckle. <DD><B> b. </B>a pocket or loop that receives the end of a buckled strap. </DL>
<A NAME="billetdoux">
<B>billet-doux, </B>noun, pl. <B>billets-doux.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a love letter. </DL>
<A NAME="billeted">
<B>billeted, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(of wood) cut into billets. <DD><B> 2. </B>(of iron or steel) molded into billets. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Architecture.) decorated with billets. </DL>
<A NAME="billeter">
<B>billeter</B> or <B>billetor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who provides quarters or lodging for soldiers. </DL>
<A NAME="billfish">
<B>billfish, </B>noun, pl. <B>-fishes</B> or (collectively) <B>-fish.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of several fishes with a long beak or snout, such as the gar or the spearfish. </DL>
<A NAME="billfold">
<B>billfold, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a folding pocketbook for carrying paper money, cards, and important papers; wallet. </DL>
<A NAME="billhead">
<B>billhead, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a sheet of paper with a name and business address printed at the top and a blank space below for adding a bill. <DD><B> 2. </B>the name and business address printed at the top of such a sheet of paper. </DL>
<A NAME="billhook">
<B>billhook, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a tool for cutting or pruning, having a curved blade with a hooked end. </DL>
<A NAME="billiard">
<B>billiard, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or for billiards. <BR> <I>Ex. a billiard table.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a point made in billiards by successively striking the two other balls with the cue ball. <DD><B> 2. </B>(U.S. Informal.) a carom. </DL>
<A NAME="billiardball">
<B>billiard ball,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a ball used in billiards, originally made of ivory but now usually made of a hard, heavy plastic compound. </DL>
<A NAME="billiardist">
<B>billiardist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a billiard player. </DL>
<A NAME="billiards">
<B>billiards, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a game played with billiard balls on a special table with a raised, cushioned edge. A long stick (cue) is used to hit the balls. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of several related games, especially pocket billiards or pool. </DL>
<A NAME="billing">
<B>billing, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>the order in which the names of performers or acts are listed in a playbill or similar advertisement. <DD><B> b. </B>the position in such a listing. <BR> <I>Ex. top billing.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the total amount billed to customers or clients for goods or services, usually within a specified period. </DL>
<A NAME="billingmachine">
<B>billing machine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a business machine combining functions of a typewriter and a calculating machine, used for making out bills and keeping records. </DL>
<B>billion, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(in the U.S., Canada, and France) one thousand millions; 1,000,000,000. <DD><B> 2. </B>(in Great Britain and Germany) one million millions; 1,000,000,000,000. </DL>
<A NAME="billionaire">
<B>billionaire, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an extremely wealthy person who has a billion or more dollars, francs, marks, pounds, or the like. <DD><B> 2. </B>any very wealthy person. </DL>
<A NAME="billionth">
<B>billionth, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>coming last in a series of a billion. <DD><B> 2. </B>being one of a billion equal parts. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the billionth member of a series. <DD><B> 2. </B>one of a billion equal parts. </DL>
<A NAME="billjim">
<B>Billjim, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (in Australia) a nickname for the average Australian. </DL>
<A NAME="billman">
<B>billman, </B>noun, pl. <B>-men.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a soldier armed with a bill. <DD><B> 2. </B>a laborer using a billhook or bill. </DL>
<A NAME="billofadventure">
<B>bill of adventure,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a bill stating that a merchant is handling goods on behalf of another whose risk it is. </DL>
<A NAME="billofattainder">
<B>bill of attainder,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an act of a lawmaking body that deprives a specific person or persons of property and civil rights, without benefit of judicial trial, because of a sentence of death or outlawry. Such acts are forbidden by the Constitution of the United States. </DL>
<A NAME="billofcredit">
<B>bill of credit,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (in U.S. history) a paper issued by a state, and based on its own credit, to be circulated as money, forbidden by the Constitution. </DL>
<A NAME="billofentry">
<B>bill of entry,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a written account of goods entered at a custom house, whether imported or intended for export. </DL>
<A NAME="billofexceptions">
<B>bill of exceptions,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a list of persons appealing against a judge's decision in certain Scottish courts. </DL>
<A NAME="billofexchange">
<B>bill of exchange,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a written order to a person, bank, or firm to pay a stated sum of money to a specified person; a draft. </DL>
<A NAME="billoffare">
<B>bill of fare,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a menu. </DL>
<A NAME="billofgoods">
<B>bill of goods,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a list of the goods sold, with the price for each item in a shipment of merchandise. <BR><I>expr. <B>sell a bill of goods,</B> </I>(Slang.) to mislead or seek to mislead by a specious or false argument, set of facts, or other deception. <BR> <I>Ex. I don't mean that these staff members were selling their members a bill of goods about the labor movement (Harper's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="billofhealth">
<B>bill of health,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a certificate stating whether or not there are infectious diseases on a ship or in a port. A bill of health is given to a captain when his ship sails. <BR><I>expr. <B>clean bill of health,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>a bill of health certifying total absence of infection. <DD><B> b. </B>(Informal, Figurative.) a good or favorable report, based on the past record or qualifications of a person or thing. </I> <I>Ex. Service stations selling a single brand of petrol will be given a clean bill of health by the commission (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="billofindictment">
<B>bill of indictment,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a detailed written statement presented to a grand jury formally accusing a person of a crime. </DL>
<A NAME="billoflading">
<B>bill of lading,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a written receipt or contract given by a ship, railroad, express agency, or other carrier, showing a list of goods delivered to it for transportation; waybill. </DL>
<A NAME="billofmortality">
<B>bill of mortality,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) an official return of the births and deaths within a district; weekly bill. </DL>
<A NAME="billofparticulars">
<B>bill of particulars,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a written statement giving the demands and claims made by one side of a lawsuit. <DD><B> 2. </B>a detailed statement. </DL>
<A NAME="billofrights">
<B>bill of rights,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a statement of the fundamental rights belonging to the citizens of a country. <DD><B> 2. </B>any statement of rights or privileges granted to or claimed by a group or class of people. </DL>
