Bill

• IPA^(key): /bɪl/, [bɪɫ], enPR: bîl

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɪl

Bill

1. A diminutive of the male given name William.
   • 1974 John le Carré, Tinker. Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Simon&Schuster, 2002, →ISBN, page 7

     "My other name's Bill," he said. "I was christened Bill but Mr Thursgood calls me William." / "Bill, eh. The unpaid Bill. Anyone ever call you that?" / "No, sir." / "Good name, anyway." / "Yes, sir." / "Known a lot of Bills. They've all been good 'uns."

   • 1998 Nick Hornby, About A Boy, Victor Gollancz, 1998, →ISBN, page 208

     One of his neighbours opposite, a nice old guy with a stoop and a horrible little Yorkshire terrier, called him Bill - always had done and presumably always would, right up till the day he died. It actually irritated Will, who was not, he felt, by any stretch of the imagination, a Bill. Bill wouldn't smoke spliffs and listen to Nirvana. So why had he allowed this misapprehension to continue? Why hadn't he just said, four years ago, "Actually my name is Will"?

2. (Britain, slang) A nickname for the British constabulary. Often called "The Bill" or "Old Bill"
3. (US, slang) One Hundred Dollars.

• Metropolitan Police Service - Origins of the name "Old Bill" (2)

Bill m

1. A male given name, equivalent to English Bill

From English Bill. First recorded as a Swedish given name in 1895.

Bill c (genitive Bills)

1. A male given name.
   • 1994 Maria Gripe, Egna världar, →ISBN, page 272:

     —Vem är Bill, mamma?

     Jag väntade mig inget svar, men mamma skrattade:

     —Vet du inte det? Jo, det kommer från farmor. När pappa var liten brukade hon på skoj kalla honom för Bill...Lille Bill...Vilde Bill...Det tog han efter sen och kallade sig ofta Bill. Fast för min del sa jag alltid Birger.