bill of health

noun phrase

1

: a certificate given to the ship's master at the time of leaving port that indicates the state of health of a ship's company and of a port with regard to infectious diseases

2

: a usually favorable report following an examination or investigation

gave the criticized textbook a clean bill of health

Examples of bill of health in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Under pressure, New York finally appended an editor’s note to the piece last week, clarifying that Lucky has been given a clean bill of health from not one but two veterinarians, but some commenters remained unassuaged. —Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024

Wilson is on track to eclipse the 1,000-point mark this season, assuming a clean bill of health for the Aces’ four remaining games. —Shane Young, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024

Rory was checked out by a vet and, aside from some fleas, was given a clean bill of health. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2024

The fresh data delivers a strong bill of health for the nation's economy. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 25 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

bill of health

noun

ˌbil-əv- 

: a duly authenticated certificate of the state of health of a ship's company and of a port with regard to infectious diseases that is given to the ship's master at the time of leaving the port