bill1

 
Pronunciation: /bɪl/

noun

  • 1a printed or written statement of the money owed for goods or services: the bill for their meal came to £17
  • 2a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion: a debate over the civil rights bill
  • 3a programme of entertainment at a theatre or cinema: she was top of the bill at America’s leading vaudeville house
  • 4North American a banknote: a ten-dollar bill
  • 5a poster or handbill: [as modifier]: he has been hard at work bill posting in a poster and sticker campaign

verb

[with object]
  • 1list (a person or event) in a programme: they were billed to appear but did not show up
  • (bill someone/thing as) describe or advertise someone or something in a particular way: he was billed as ‘the new Sean Connery’
  • 2send a bill to (someone): we shall be billing them for the damage caused [with two objects]: he had been billed £3,000 for his licence
  • charge (a sum of money): we billed £400,000

Phrases

fit (or fill) the bill

be suitable for a particular purpose.

Derivatives

billable

adjective

Origin:

Middle English (denoting a written list or catalogue): from Anglo-Norman French bille, probably based on medieval Latin bulla 'seal, sealed document' (see also bull2)