billy

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

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪli

Etymology 1

• Of obscure origin. Perhaps from the name Billy, a diminutive of William, or 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”).
• (condom): 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 billy club.
2. 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 clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) A male goat; a ram.
3. (Geordie) A good friend.
4. (slang) A condom.
5. A slubbing or roving machine.
6. (UK, slang, obsolete) A silk handkerchief.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Uncertain, but probably extracted from Scots billypot (“a type of cooking pot”).

Noun

billy (plural billies)

1. (Australia, New Zealand) 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.
2. (Australia, slang) A bong for smoking marijuana.

Derived terms

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

Translations

References

• Frank Graham (1987) The New Geordie Dictionary, →ISBN
• Sceilig: Information Pack for Troops (p. 4)
• The Patrol goes to Camp (pp. 9, 11).