billy
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billy¹
- /ˈbɪli/
Rhymes with -ɪli
Where it comes from
Of obscure origin. Perhaps a variant of bully (“companion, mate, comrade”). Compare Scots billie (“a comrade; companion”). Compare also Middle Low German billig (“equitable, reasonable, lawful, fitting, according to natural law, just”).
noun billies
- A fellow, companion, comrade, mate; partner, brother.
- A good friend. Fareweel, my rhyme-compoſing billie! / Your native ſoil was right ill-willie; / But may ye flouriſh like a lily, / Now bonilie! / I'll toaſt ye in my hindmoſt gillie, / Tho' owre the Sea!
- A billy goat. 1970 August, Valerius Geist, Mountain Goat Mysteries, Field & Stream, page 62, Then, during three days, I was amazed to see nannies with kids attack and chase off large billies.
- A silk handkerchief. All fighting coves you too must know, / Ben Caunt as well as Bendigo, / And to each mill be sure to go, / […] And you must sport a blue billy, / Or a yellow wipe […]
billy²
- /ˈbɪli/
Rhymes with -ɪli
Where it comes from
Uncertain, but probably extracted from Scots billypot (“a type of cooking pot”), perhaps originally from the name Billy, a diminutive of William.
The condom sense from the E-Rotic song Willy, Use a Billy... Boy, referring in turn to Billy Boy, a German brand of condoms.
noun billies
-
A highwayman's club, billy club.
Similar: billystick
- A slubbing or roving machine. […]at the time there existed in Dublin and its immediate neighbourhood, “forty-five manufacturers, having twenty-two billies, giving employment to 2885 work people, on whom depended for support 7386 individuals, manufacturing 29,312 pieces of cloth, of various qualities, valued at £336,380.”
- A tin with a swing handle used to boil tea over an open fire; a billycan; a billypot. Let's get the billy and cook some beans.
- A bong for smoking marijuana.
- A condom.
Billy³
- /ˈbɪli/
Sounds like Billie, billy · Rhymes with -ɪli
Where it comes from
Diminutive and pet-form; from Bill + -y.
proper noun Billys · Billie
- A diminutive of the male given name William. “By the way,” Jessamy went on, “what’s your other name? You never told me.” “Stubbs,” said Billy, “William Stubbs!”.
- The B-25 twin-engine bomber aircraft used during World War Two, commonly called the "B-25 Mitchell" in honor of U.S. Army General William "Billy" Mitchell. Just then a squadron of "Billys" -- twin-engined B-25 Mitchell land-based bombers -- flew overhead ….
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: billy goat, he-goat, stick, truncheon, nightstick, billystick, pellet, belly, bill, beli, bile, bailey, explosion, unc, excited, talk
Translations
Talk about this word "billy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/billy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. billy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/billy "billy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/billy.Cite this
@misc{billy_2026,
title = {billy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/billy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
