bill1

[bil] /bɪl/
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.
  1. a promissory note.
  2. a written and sealed document.
  3. 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.
Idioms
16.
fill the bill, to fulfill the purpose or need well:
As a sprightly situation comedy this show fills the bill.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English bille < Anglo-French < Anglo-Latin billa for Late Latin bulla bull2
Related forms
biller, noun
Synonyms
1. reckoning, invoice, statement. 5. bulletin, handbill, poster, placard, announcement, circular, throwaway, flyer, broadside.
British Dictionary definitions for fill the bill

bill1

/bɪl/
noun
1.
money owed for goods or services supplied: an electricity bill
2.
a written or printed account or statement of money owed
3.
(mainly Brit) such an account for food and drink in a restaurant, hotel, etc Usual US and Canadian word check
4.
any printed or written list of items, events, etc, such as a theatre programme: who's on the bill tonight?
5.
(informal) fit the bill, fill the bill, to serve or perform adequately
6.
a statute in draft, before it becomes law
7.
a printed notice or advertisement; poster
8.
(US & Canadian) a piece of paper money; note
9.
an obsolete name for promissory note
10.
(law) See bill of indictment
11.
See bill of exchange
12.
See bill of fare
13.
(archaic) any document
verb (transitive)
14.
to send or present an account for payment to (a person)
15.
to enter (items, goods, etc) on an account or statement
16.
to advertise by posters
17.
to schedule as a future programme: the play is billed for next week
Word Origin
C14: from Anglo-Latin billa, alteration of Late Latin bulla document, bull³

bill2

/bɪl/
noun
1.
the mouthpart of a bird, consisting of projecting jaws covered with a horny sheath; beak. It varies in shape and size according to the type of food eaten and may also be used as a weapon
2.
any beaklike mouthpart in other animals
3.
a narrow promontory: Portland Bill
4.
(nautical) the pointed tip of the fluke of an anchor
verb (intransitive)
5.
(of birds, esp doves) to touch bills together
6.
(of lovers) to kiss and whisper amorously
Word Origin
Old English bile; related to billbill³

bill3

/bɪl/
noun
1.
a pike or halberd with a narrow hooked blade
2.
short for billhook
Word Origin
Old English bill sword, related to Old Norse bīldr instrument used in blood-letting, Old High German bil pickaxe

bill4

/bɪl/
noun
1.
(ornithol) another word for boom1 (sense 4)
Word Origin
C18: from dialect beelbell² (vb)
Word Origin and History for fill the bill

bill

n.

"written statement," mid-14c., from Anglo-French bille, Anglo-Latin billa "list," from Medieval Latin bulla "decree, seal, sealed document," in classical Latin "bubble, boss, stud, amulet for the neck" (hence "seal;" see bull (n.2)). Sense of "account, invoice" first recorded c.1400; that of "order to pay" (technically bill of exchange) is from 1570s; that of "paper money" is from 1660s. Meaning "draft of an act of Parliament" is from 1510s.

"bird's beak," Old English bill "bill, bird's beak," related to bill, a poetic word for a kind of sword (especially one with a hooked blade), from a common Germanic word for cutting or chopping weapons (cf. Old High German bihal, Old Norse bilda "hatchet," Old Saxon bil "sword"), from PIE root *bheie- "to cut, to strike" (cf. Armenian bir "cudgel," Greek phitos "block of wood," Old Church Slavonic biti "to strike," Old Irish biail "ax"). Used also in Middle English of beak-like projections of land (e.g. Portland Bill).

ancient weapon, Old English bill "sword (especially one with a hooked blade), chopping tool," common Germanic (cf. Old Saxon bil "sword," Middle Dutch bile, Dutch bijl, Old High German bihal, German Beil, Old Norse bilda "hatchet." See bill (n.2).

v.

"to send someone a bill of charge," 1864, from bill (n.1). Related: Billed; billing.

Slang definitions & phrases for fill the bill

fill the bill

verb phrase

To suffice; meet the requirement: I'd like the job, if you think I fill the bills (1861+)


bill

noun
  1. A single dollar: Can I borrow a couple of bills until tomorrow? (1910+)
  2. A hundred dollars: I laid out four bills for that shearling (1920s+)
  3. A hundred yards of gain in football: Coach Jackson told me I needed two bills to win (1990s+ Football)
Related Terms

half bill, phony as a three-dollar bill


Idioms and Phrases with fill the bill

fill the bill

Serve a particular purpose well, as in I was afraid there wasn't enough chicken for everyone, but this casserole will fill the bill, or Karen's testimony just fills the bill, so we're sure to get a conviction. This expression alludes to adding less-known performers to a program (or bill) in order to make a long enough entertainment. [ First half of 1800s ]

bill

see: