billet
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billet¹
- /ˈbɪlɪt/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɪlɪt, -ɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle English bylet, from Anglo-Norman billette (“list, schedule”), from bille + -ette, from Latin bulla (“document”).
noun billets
- A short informal letter. However, when his cool reflections returned, he plainly perceived that his case was neither mended nor altered by Sophia's billet[…]
- A written order to quarter soldiers. The soldiers had nearly all departed for their quarters, when one poor fellow, who had fallen asleep, leaning on his musket against the wall, was awakened by the silence, and starting up, he went over to the table at which Mr. Consadine was seated, hoping his worship would give him a good billet. "A
- A sealed ticket for a draw or lottery. A murmur of applause and gratitude arose from the crowd, which was soon interrupted by the preparations for distributing the tickets. Four pages, clothed in white and crimson, brought in two massive salvers, whose delicate carving was from the unrivalled graver of Benvenuto Cellini. These were fille
billet²
- /ˈbɪlɪt/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɪlɪt, -ɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle French billette (“schedule”), from bullette, diminutive form of bulle (“document”), from Medieval Latin bulla, hence cognate with etymology 1 above.
noun billets
- A place where a soldier is assigned to lodge. Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer d
- Temporary lodgings in a private residence, such as is organised for members of a visiting sports team.
- An allocated space or berth in a boat or ship. The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.
- Berth; position. His shafts of satire fly straight to their billet, and there they rankle.
verb billets · billeting · billetting · billeted · billetted
- To lodge soldiers, or guests, usually by order. Billeted in so antiquated a mansion.
- To lodge, or be quartered, in a private house.
- To direct, by a ticket or note, where to lodge.
billet³
- /ˈbɪlɪt/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɪlɪt, -ɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle English billet, bylet, belet, billette, from Old French billette, from bille (“log, tree trunk”), from Vulgar Latin *bilia, probably of Gaulish origin (compare Old Irish bile (“tree”)).
noun billets
- A semi-finished length of metal. The Saturday evening Cardiff-West Wales mail train is still steam-worked, but a most unlikely locomotive used on May 23 was Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 45250 (5A); it returned on May 25 with a train of steel billets.
- A short piece of wood, especially one used as firewood. They shall beat out my brains with billets.
- A short cutting of sugar cane produced by a harvester or used for planting.
- A rectangle used as a charge on an escutcheon.
- An ornament in Norman work, resembling a billet of wood, either square or round.
- A strap that enters a buckle.
- A loop that receives the end of a buckled strap.
billet⁴
- /ˈbɪlɪt/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɪlɪt, -ɪt
noun billets
- Alternative form of billard (“coalfish”).
Translations
Every language
verb to lodge soldiers, or guests, in a private house
| Español | acuartelar |
|---|---|
| Português | aquartelar |
| Deutsch | einquartieren |
| Русский | расквартиро́вывать raskvartiróvyvatʹ, расквартирова́ть raskvartirovátʹ |
Talk about this word "billet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/billet. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. billet. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/billet "billet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/billet.Cite this
@misc{billet_2026,
title = {billet},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/billet},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
