billies

noun

plural of billy
as in canes
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment police officers carry a billy while patrolling on foot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of billies Mountain goats, especially mature billies, are very predictable in their daily routines this time of year, Richard told me. — Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billies
  1. canes
  2. batons
Noun
  • Questions that have been proposed for removal deal with memory, fatigue, arthritis, difficulty walking and climbing stairs, as well as others about the use of hearing aids, canes, wheelchairs and scooters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This is because fruit development consumes much of the vine’s energy, so removing the fruit at this point allows the vine’s energy to continue to develop a strong cordon, canes (vertical shoots), and root system.
    — The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of canes
Noun
  • Authorities are evaluating whether the use of batons and police dogs was excessive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Last week, at least 50 people, including 19 police personnel, were injured after police used tear gas, water cannons and batons to disperse garment workers demanding unpaid wages and higher pay in Dhaka’s Uttara area.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of batons

Browse Nearby Words

billfolds
billies
billing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Billies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billies. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All