billy

1 of 2

noun (1)

bil·​ly ˈbi-lē How to pronounce billy (audio)
plural billies
chiefly Australia and New Zealand
: a metal or enamelware pail or pot with a lid and wire bail

called also billycan

billy

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural billies

Examples of billy in a Sentence

Noun (2) police officers carry a billy while patrolling on foot
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
More importantly, Vance cast himself as an extraordinary exception to his fellow Appalachians, describing ’billies as encased in a toxic amber that kept them from improving their lot and left them embittered with a country that has moved on without them. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024 Hip-Hop In 2013, the indie-rap lifers billy woods and Elucid joined forces to become Armand Hammer, a clear-eyed, thrilling guerrilla duo with a penchant for cutting through nonsense. The New Yorker, 14 June 2024 Also on the Friday bill are: Jai Paul, 100 gecs, Jeff Rosenstock, Yaeji, Sudan Archives, Amen Dunes, billy woods & Kenny Segal, Tkay Maidza, Doss, ML Buch, Rosali, Angry Blackmen, and Black Duck. Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2024 Courts have defined a billy as any kind of stick, bat or baton that is intended to be used as a weapon — even common items like a baseball bat or table leg could qualify if it is meant to hurt someone else. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 The rap duo—comprised of billy woods and Elucid—previously teamed up with the Alchemist for the 2021 collaboration Haram. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2024 The suit challenges only the prohibition on the billy and not the other weapons listed in the same statute. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 While the law doesn’t explicitly define a billy, courts have determined it to be any kind of stick, bat or baton that is intended to be used as a weapon. Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Scots billy-pot cooking utensil

Noun (2)

probably from the name Billy

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1849, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of billy was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near billy

Cite this Entry

“Billy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billy. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

billy

noun
bil·​ly
ˈbil-ē
plural billies

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