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
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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

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 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

billy

noun
bil·​ly
ˈbil-ē
plural billies

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