billy

English Online Dictionary. What means billy‎? What does billy mean?

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪli

Etymology 1

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

billy (plural billies)

1. A fellow, companion, comrade, mate; partner, brother.
2. (Geordie) A good friend.
3. 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.
   1. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) A male goat; a ram.
4. (UK, slang, obsolete) A silk handkerchief.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

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

billy (plural billies)

1. A term applied to various machines or implements:
   1. A highwayman's club, billy club.
   2. A slubbing or roving machine.
2. (Australia, New Zealand) A tin with a swing handle used to boil tea over an open fire; a billycan; a billypot.
3. (Australia, slang) A bong for smoking marijuana.
4. (slang) A condom.

Derived terms

• billy bread
• billycan, billy-can
• billy cart
• billyful
• billy lid
• billy tea
• Christmas billy

Translations

References

• Frank Graham, editor (1987), “BILLY”, in The New Geordie Dictionary, Rothbury, Northumberland: Butler Publishing, →ISBN.
• Sceilig: Information Pack for Troops (p. 4)
• The Patrol goes to Camp (pp. 9, 11).