bill

View more History, Politics, Society videos

1. Bill of exchange, a payment order written by one person (the drawer) to another, directing the latter (the drawee) to pay a certain amount of money at a future date to a third party. An important document in international trade, a bill of exchange is a bank draft when drawn on a bank or, a trade draft when drawn on another party. Sometimes used interchangeably with Draft (although drafts are negotiable instruments transferable by endorsement) whereas bills of exchange are not always negotiable. See also Bankers Acceptance.

2. Bill of lading, a receipt issued by a common carrier for transporting trade goods from one point to another. When presented to a collecting bank along with an accepted bank draft, the bank releases the goods after it has been paid by the paying bank. A bill of lading is a title document and a receipt for goods transported. See also Documentary Draft.

3. Treasury Bill, a security with a maximum maturity of one year, issued by the U.S. Treasury Department. Three-month and six-month bills are auctioned weekly by the Treasury; one-year bills are auctioned monthly. In all cases, bills are sold at a discount from principal amount and redeemed at face value.

4. Due bill, a statement of money owed, as when a bank sells a security and receives payment but has not delivered the security or equivalent asset. Outstanding due bills are considered borrowed funds by a bank issuing a bill, and a loan by the holder of the obligation. In the securities industry, a due bill indicates the amount owed by a buying broker to a selling broker. It can also be an IOU for interest or dividend payments to the owner of record, if such payments are owned by the buyer.

noun

1. A precise list of fees or charges: account, check, invoice, reckoning, statement. Informal tab. See pay/owe.
2. A document, such as a list or an outline, that gives, for example, the order of events in a public performance or the chief features of a stock offering: program, prospectus, syllabus. See planned/unplanned, words.
3. A usually public posting that conveys a message: billboard, notice, placard, poster, sign. See show/hide.
4. The formal product of a legislative or judicial body: act, assize, enactment, law, legislation, lex, measure, statute. See law.

verb

To present a statement of fees or charges to: invoice. See money, request.

bill²

noun

1. The horny projection forming a bird's jaws: beak. See mouth.
2. The projecting rim on the front of a cap: brim, peak, visor. See convex/concave, protection/exposure.

n

Definition: piece of paper money
Antonyms: coin

n. 1. the point of an anchor fluke.

2. a stiff brim at the front of a cap.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Proposed legislation which has not yet been enacted. In the United Kingdom Parliament there are two types of bill: public and private. public bills presented by ministers in the House of Commons, which take up the most parliamentary time, follow a set procedure, which is also followed for other public bills and private bills but with some variations. A bill initially is merely a short title, usually with an explanatory memorandum signed on the back by the minister in charge. It is read for the first time in the House of Commons. Upon passing, a complete draft of parts or chapters, classes, and schedules is drawn up and submitted for a second reading in the House. Here members debate the general principle and purposes of the bill. If the vote to confirm the second reading is won the bill is then committed to a standing committee to debate the detail. Complex bills may be referred to a select committee first, which then passes its recommendations to the standing committee. For some bills, notably finance bills, the detail is debated by a committee of the whole house and/or a standing committee. A bill is then reported to the House complete with suggested amendments from the committee stage. During the report stage these and any further amendments are debated in the House. Ultimately, the bill complete with agreed amendments is then given its third reading, and upon passing is submitted to the House of Lords. Generally, the Lords agree suggested amendments to the bill after which it is returned to the Commons. Members may then debate only the amendments suggested by the Lords and pass on their views. This continues until agreement is reached. The bill in its final form is then taken to the monarch by the clerks of the House of Lords for royal assent. When this is received the bill becomes an act and a date of commencement for the act coming into force may be set. A bill may be defeated on a vote at any of the three readings in the House of Commons and by the House of Lords. A bill may also be lost by being talked out in the Commons and in committee. Governments anxious to prevent this resort to the guillotine procedure, by which a time limit for each stage of a bill's passage is set. Ultimately, the Commons has supremacy under the 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts and can override a Lords' veto by passing a bill twice in successive sessions.

Since its creation 1999 the unicameral Scottish Parliament has assumed responsibility for the preparation of all bills in non-reserved areas for Scotland and has its own procedures for scrutiny, amendment, and completion. Equally, the Northern Ireland Assembly, established in 1998, has powers to prepare bills in a number of prescribed domestic policy areas. Whether bills lie within the legislative competence of these devolved bodies, nevertheless, can be referred by a UK government minister to the judicial committee of the privy council. For their bills to become acts they also have to receive royal assent. Theoretically, the UK Parliament remains sovereign in the making of law, although it is expected that in practice this is unlikely to be invoked to block bills of devolved bodies.

Similar procedures to the UK Parliament are in force in the US Congress, whose procedural rules were derived from eighteenth-century British parliamentary usage, except that the separation of powers ensures that there is no such thing as a government bill. However, Congress, like other genuinely bicameral legislatures, requires a conference procedure to reconcile versions of bills produced by the two houses.

— Jonathan Bradbury

Any member of Congress with an idea for a law can introduce it as a bill. But many hurdles must be overcome before that bill becomes law. In a two-year Congress, some 20,000 bills may be introduced, only 5 percent of which will become law. Representatives introduce bills by dropping them in a box called a hopper. Senators rise at their desk in the chamber and request permission to introduce a bill. Bill clerks assign the bill a number. H.R. 1 would be the first bill introduced in the House during that Congress; S. 256 would be the 256th bill introduced in the Senate. Members often reserve special numbers, such as 1776, to draw attention to their legislation. The names of the bill's sponsors are printed at the top of the bill, and bills are often known by their sponsors, such as the Wagner Bill or the Taft-Hartley Bill.

The parliamentarian refers the bill to the committee (or committees) with jurisdiction over its subject matter. A bill to reform the federal courts would go to the Judiciary Committee; a bill dealing with auto pollution might be divided between the energy and environmental committees. Most bills die in committee because the committee fails to act on them. The successful few are usually considered first in a subcommittee, which may hold hearings to gather information and may amend, substitute, or combine the bill with other related bills. The full committee will “mark up” a bill, making final changes before reporting it back to the House or Senate.

The bill then goes on the calendar until it is called up for consideration. With the committee chairman or the bill's chief sponsor acting as floor manager, members will debate and amend the bill before passing or defeating it. Once one house passes a bill, messengers carry the bill to the other body, and the entire process begins again. Invariably, the Senate and House pass bills in different forms. They will then appoint a conference committee to try to negotiate a common version. The House and Senate must vote “up or down” (yes or no, without amendment) on the conference report.

If Congress passes the bill, it goes to the President, who can sign the bill, allow it to become law without his signature after 10 days, or veto (reject) it. A two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress is necessary to override a veto.

See also Acts of Congress; Bill clerks; Resolutions, congressional; Veto power

Sources

• T. R. Reid, Congressional Odyssey: The Saga of a Senate Bill (New York: Freeman, 1980).
• Edward Willett, Jr., ed., How Our Laws Are Made (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1986)

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A declaration in writing. A document listing separate items. An itemized account of charges or costs. In equity practice, the first pleading in the action, the paper in which the plaintiff sets out his or her case and demands relief from the defendant.

A bill of indictment is a formal written document accusing someone of having committed a crime. It is presented to a grand jury for its consideration and decision whether to act on it. A bill of rights is a formal declaration that the people have certain rights and liberties. Rights are often asserted when there is a change in government, and a bill of rights has been included in the federal and many state constitutions in the United States.

A bill of particulars itemizes all of the facts making up a claim asserted in a lawsuit. It is delivered to the opposing party in order to sharpen the issues in dispute. A bill of review lists errors alleged to have been made by a trial court. It is presented to a court that has jurisdiction to correct those errors or reverse the decision.

A bill of costs is a certified, itemized statement of expenses incurred by the successful party in a lawsuit. Courts are generally empowered to order the losing party to reimburse the winning party for some or all of these expenses. A bill of sale is a writing that lists property exchanged in a bargain for money or something else of value.

A bill corresponds to the declaration made by the plaintiff when beginning a common-law action. Modern rules of pleading have merged the procedures for handling cases at law and in equity, and the modern equivalent of both the bill in equity and the declaration at law is the complaint.

(DOD) A ship's publication listing operational or administrative procedures.

IN BRIEF: Something for which an invoice can be written.

The wooden bird statue in the antique shop is billable.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

Quotes:

"Dreading that climax of all human ills the inflammation of his weekly bills." - Lord Byron

"I did send to you for certain sums of gold, which you denied me." - William Shakespeare

"It is only by not paying one's bills that one can hope to live in the memory of the commercial classes." - Oscar Wilde

noun
noun, Brit

The police force; a policeman. Frequently preceded by the. (1969 —) .
British Journal of Photography There wasn't going to be no questions asked in the House about some working-class kid getting hisself duffed up by the bill (1979).

[Short for old bill noun.]

Previous:	bilge, bikie, bike
Next:	bim, bimbette, bimbo

For a list of words related to bill, see:

• Animal Types and Parts - bill: hard jaws of a bird, usu. projecting to point
• Edged, Pointed, Carving, and Turning Tools - bill: curved blade set on handle, used for pruning or cutting; billhook
• Acts, Powers, Conditions, and Procedures - bill: proposed piece of legislation
• Commerce and Trade - bill: itemized statement of charges for goods or services; check; tab
• Money, Currency, and Denominations - bill: one piece of paper money
• Stagecraft, Production, and Dramatic Structure - bill: performance or piece being shown in theater

---

See words rhyming with "bill."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Bill.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - veksel, tratte
v. tr. - sende regning til, notere, lancere, sætte på plakaten, sætte på regning

idioms:

• bill of exchange    veksel
• bill of fare    menukort, spiseseddel
• bill of lading    konossement
• Bill of Rights    Bill of Rights
• bill of sale    løsørepantebrev
• fill the bill    være topstjerne
• fit the bill    slå til, gøre fyldest

2.
n. - næb
v. intr. - næbbes

idioms:

• bill and coo    kærtegne hinanden, kissemisse

3.
n. - plakat

Nederlands (Dutch)
rekening, factuur, nota, wetsvoorstel, snavel, affiche, biljet, wissel, recht, piek (soort wapen met haak), ankerpunt, vizier, akte van beschuldiging, honderd dollar, factureren, inschrijven, toerekenen, meepikken, liefkozen

Français (French)
1.
n. - facture, note, état, liste, (Comm, Fin, etc) effet, traite, (US) billet de banque, projet de loi, (Jur) plainte, requête, affiche, écriteau, placard (notice publique)
v. tr. - envoyer une facture à, (Théât) mettre à l'affiche, annoncer

idioms:

• bill of exchange    lettre/ effet de change
• bill of fare    menu, carte (du jour)
• bill of lading    (Comm) connaissement
• Bill of Rights    (Hist) Déclaration des droits, (fig) déclaration de droits (d'un peuple)
• bill of sale    acte/contrat de vente
• fill the bill    faire l'affaire
• fit the bill    faire l'affaire

2.
n. - bec, bec corné (d'une tortue), visière (d'une casquette), (Géog) bec
v. intr. - se becqueter

idioms:

• bill and coo    (lit, fig) roucouler

3.
n. - serpe, (Hist) hache d'armes

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Schnabel, Landzunge
v. - (sich) schnäbeln, (sich) liebkosen

idioms:

• bill of exchange    Wechsel
• bill of fare    Menü
• bill of lading    Konnossement
• Bill of Rights    engl. Staatsgrundgesetz
• bill of sale    Verkaufsurkunde
• fill the bill    den Erwartungen entsprechen, angemessen sein, erfüllen
• fit the bill    den Erwartungen entsprechen, angemessen sein, erfüllen

2.
n. - Rechnung, Faktur, Gesetz, Gesetzentwurf, Gesetzesvorlage, Plakat, Anschlag, Geldschein, Wechsel
v. - fakturieren, durch Anschlag bekanntmachen, eine Rechnung ausstellen, ankündigen

idioms:

• bill and coo    sich liebkosen

3.
n. - Hellebarde, Hippe

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - λογαριασμός, νομοσχέδιο, αφίσα, τοιχοκόλληση, πρόγραμμα παράστασης, κατάλογος, λίστα, ράμφος, μύτη, άκρο, (οικον.) γραμμάτιο, (ΗΠΑ) χαρτονόμισμα, κλαδευτήρι, (ιστ.) αλαβάρδα, λογχοπέλεκυς, γείσο
v. - χρεώνω, ανακοινώνω, διαφημίζω

idioms:

• back a bill    υποστηρίζω νομοσχέδιο
• bill and coo    χαϊδολογιέμαι, σαλιαρίζω
• bill of exchange    συναλλαγματική
• bill of fare    τιμοκατάλογος εστιατορίου, μενού
• bill of lading    (οικον.) φορτωτική
• Bill of Rights    Διακήρυξη των Ανθρώπινων Δικαιωμάτων, καταστατικός χάρτης
• bill of sale    πωλητήριο (συμβόλαιο)
• fill the bill    ανταποκρίνομαι στις απαιτήσεις, είμαι ό, τι πρέπει/χρειάζεται
• fit the bill    ανταποκρίνομαι στις απαιτήσεις, είμαι ό, τι πρέπει/χρειάζεται

Italiano (Italian)
fatturare, fattura, becco, legge, disegno di legge, decreto legge, proposta di legge, progetto di legge, manifesto, biglietto, banconota, cambiale

idioms:

• bill and coo    vezzeggiare
• Bill of Rights    Emendamenti alla Costituzione USA
• clean bill of health    certificato di buona salute
• fits/ fills the bill    soddisfa le condizioni
• foot the bill    pagare il conto
• sell someone a bill of goods    menare qualcuno per il naso

Português (Portuguese)
n. - fatura (f), cédula (f) (de dinheiro), projeto (m) de lei (Jur.), bico (m) de aves, parte (f) da boca com forma de bico (como a tartaruga)
v. - cobrar, faturar

idioms:

• back a bill    apoiar um projeto de lei no congresso (EUA)
• bill and coo    acariciar-se (como namorados) (coloq.)
• bill of exchange    letra (f) de câmbio
• bill of fare    cardápio (m)
• bill of lading    conhecimento (m) (de transporte marítimo)
• Bill of Rights    declaração (f) dos direitos de cidadania
• bill of sale    instrumento (m) de venda
• clean bill of health    atestado (m) de saúde em ordem
• fits/fills the bill    preenche os requisitos
• foot the bill    pagar a conta
• sell someone a bill of goods    tirar vantagem de uma pessoa simplória

Русский (Russian)
счет, клюв, билль, законопроект, афиша, банкнота, вексель, полицейский

idioms:

• back a bill    поддержать вексель, иметь средство оплатить вексель
• bill and coo    ворковать
• bill of exchange    вексель
• bill of fare    меню с ценами, ресторанный счет
• bill of lading    коносамент
• Bill of Rights    Билль о правах человека
• bill of sale    счет о продаже
• clean bill of health    карантинное свидетельство, хвалебный отчет
• fits/fills the bill    соответствует всем требованиям
• foot the bill    заплатить по счету
• sell someone a bill of goods    послать счет за товары, подтасовать, жульничать

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - cuenta, factura, ley, proyecto de ley, carta, cartel, letra bancaria, letra de cambio
v. tr. - facturar

idioms:

• bill of exchange    letra de cambio
• bill of fare    lista de platos, minuta
• bill of lading    conocimiento de embarque
• Bill of Rights    carta o declaración de derechos
• bill of sale    documento de transferencia de titularidad en una propiedad
• fill the bill    satisfacer los requisitos, cumplir los requerimientos
• fit the bill    satisfacer los requisitos, cumplir los requerimientos

2.
n. - pico, hocico
v. intr. - juntar los picos (las palomas), besarse, arrullarse

idioms:

• bill and coo    estar como dos tórtolos

3.
n. - billete de cien dólares, promontorio, visera de una gorra

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - lagförslag, proposition, räkning, nota, anslag, affisch, sedel, förteckning
v. - sätta upp på affisch

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 帐单, 节目单, 目录, 清单, 票据, 给...开帐单, 在...贴海报, 要...付款, 贴海报宣布

idioms:

• bill of exchange    国外汇票
• bill of fare    菜单, 节目单
• bill of lading    提货单
• Bill of Rights    英国的权利法案, 美国的人权法案
• bill of sale    销售证, 销售契约销售证, 销售契约抵押证券, 卖契, 卖据卖据
• fill the bill    出类拔萃
• fit the bill    符合要求, 适合需要, 使人很满意

2. 鸟嘴, 喙, 岬, 岬角, 形似鸟嘴的东西, 接嘴

idioms:

• bill and coo    互相接吻

3. 钞票

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 帳單, 節目單, 目錄, 清單, 票據
v. tr. - 給...開帳單, 在...貼海報, 要...付款, 貼海報宣佈

idioms:

• bill of exchange    國外匯票
• bill of fare    菜單, 節目單
• bill of lading    提貨單
• Bill of Rights    英國的權利法案, 美國的人權法案
• bill of sale    銷售證, 銷售契約銷售證, 銷售契約抵押證券, 賣契, 賣據賣據
• fill the bill    出類拔萃
• fit the bill    符合要求, 適合需要, 使人很滿意

2.
n. - 鳥嘴, 喙, 岬, 岬角, 形似鳥嘴的東西
v. intr. - 接嘴

idioms:

• bill and coo    互相接吻

3.
n. - 鈔票

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 청구서, 지폐, 법안
v. tr. - 계산서에 기입하다, 계산서를 보내다, 삐라로 광고하다

2.
n. - 부리, 좁다란 곳
v. intr. - 부리를 맞대다, 애정을 나타내다

3.
n. - 창[낫]의 일종

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ビル, 勘定書, 請求書, 議案, ビラ, 手形, 紙幣, 番組, くちばし, くちばし状のもの, 証書, 岬, 申告書
v. - 請求書を送る, ビラで広告する, が…すると番組に組む, くちばしを触れ合う

idioms:

• bill and coo    愛撫しあう
• bill of exchange    為替手形
• bill of fare    献立表, メニュー
• bill of lading    船荷証券
• Bill of Rights    権利章典, 権利に関する宣言
• bill of sale    売渡証
• fits/fills the bill    期待に添う

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) منقار, لائحه قانون, فاتورة, قائمه, اعلان, ورقه نقد, ورقه ماليه (فعل) ارسل قائمه حساب, أعلن, تعانقت ( حمامتان)‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חשבון (לתשלום), מודעה, הצעת חוק, שטר, תעודה, מקור, סכום לתשלום, כרזה, תוכניה, שטר-כסף, שלח מכתב דרישה‬
v. tr. - ‮הגיש חשבון, פרסם במודעות, הכריז, הודיע, שלח מכתב דרישה‬
n. - ‮חרטום, לשון יבשה, חוד העוגן, מקור של ציפור בעיקר שטוח‬
v. intr. - ‮הכריז, היכה במקורו במקור אחר (אצל יונים וכו')‬
n. - ‮חנית עם ראש קרס‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.