name
Meaning 1
A diminutive of the male given name William.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Colloquial Variant guide
billy
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈbɪli/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɪli
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homophone: Billie
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homophone: billy
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: B IH1 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
The B-25 twin-engine bomber aircraft used during World War Two, commonly called the "B-25 Mitchell" in honor of U.S. Army General William "Billy" Mitchell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Qualifier: nickname
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A fellow, companion, comrade, mate; partner, brother.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A good friend.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Geordie
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A billy goat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- 1970 August, Valerius Geist, Mountain Goat Mysteries, Field & Stream, page 62, Then, during three days, I was amazed to see nannies with kids attack and chase off large billies.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A silk handkerchief.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, obsolete, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A highwayman's club, billy club.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
A slubbing or roving machine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
A tin with a swing handle used to boil tea over an open fire; a billycan; a billypot.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, New-Zealand
Examples
- Let's get the billy and cook some beans.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A bong for smoking marijuana.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A condom.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
male goat
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: billy goat, he-goat
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: goat, caprine animal
noun
Meaning 13
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: truncheon, nightstick, baton, billystick, billy club
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: club
History
Etymology
Diminutive and pet-form; from Bill + -y.
Of obscure origin. Perhaps a variant of bully (“companion, mate, comrade”). Compare Scots billie (“a comrade; companion”). Compare also Middle Low German billig (“equitable, reasonable, lawful, fitting, according to natural law, just”).
Uncertain, but probably extracted from Scots billypot (“a type of cooking pot”), perhaps originally from the name Billy, a diminutive of William. The condom sense from the E-Rotic song Willy, Use a Billy... Boy, referring in turn to Billy Boy, a German brand of condoms.
Across languages
Translations
14 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Greek: Μπίλι (Bíli) — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Wil — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Wili — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Wilem — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Wilhelmek — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Wilmek — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Wim — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Wilm — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Helmek — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Helm — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Hel — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Polish: Helek — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Russian: Би́лли (Bílli) — a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill
- Māori: kēna — A billycan, a small pot for heating water over a fire