bill
noun /bɪl/
/bɪl/
Idioms - a document that shows how much you owe somebody for goods or services
- the phone/electricity/gas bill
- He is facing a huge tax bill.
- She always pays her bills on time.
- We ran up a massive hotel bill.
- bill for something I’ll be sending you the bill for the dry-cleaning!
- The bills are piling up (= there are more and more that have still not been paid).
Collocations FinanceFinanceIncome- earn money/cash/(informal) a fortune/the minimum wage/a living wage
- make money/a fortune/(informal) a killing on the stock market
- acquire/inherit/amass wealth/a fortune
- build up funds/savings
- get/receive/leave (somebody) an inheritance/a legacy
- live on a low wage/a fixed income/a pension
- get/receive/draw/collect a pension
- depend/be dependent on (British English) benefits/(North American English) welfare/social security
- spend money/your savings/(informal) a fortune on…
- invest/put your savings in…
- throw away/waste/ (informal) shell out money on…
- lose your money/inheritance/pension
- use up/ (informal) wipe out all your savings
- pay (in) cash
- use/pay by a credit/debit/contactless card
- pay by/make out a/write somebody a/accept a (British English) cheque/(US English) check
- change/exchange money/currency
- give/pay/leave (somebody) a deposit
- have/hold/open/close/freeze a bank account/an account
- credit/debit/pay something into/take money out of your account
- deposit money/funds in your account
- withdraw money/cash/£30 from an ATM, etc.
- (formal) make a deposit/withdrawal
- find/go to/use (especially North American English) an ATM/(British English) a cash machine/dispenser
- be in credit/in debit/in the black/in the red/overdrawn
- use a mobile/an online banking app/platform/service
- manage/handle/plan/run/ (especially British English) sort out your finances
- plan/manage/work out/stick to a budget
- offer/extend credit (to somebody)
- arrange/take out a loan/an overdraft
- pay back/repay money/a loan/a debt
- pay for something in (especially British English) instalments/(North American English usually) installments
- get into debt/financial difficulties
- be short of/ (informal) be strapped for cash
- run out of/owe money
- face/get/ (informal) be landed with a bill for £…
- can’t afford the cost of…/payments/rent
- fall behind with/ (especially North American English) fall behind on the mortgage/repayments/rent
- incur/run up/accumulate debts
- tackle/reduce/settle your debts
Extra ExamplesTopics Shoppinga1- Customers receive an itemized monthly phone bill.
- Don't worry—the company will pick up the bill (= pay).
- I've just got a huge tax bill.
- Many people struggle to pay their rent and utility bills.
- The company could now face higher fuel bills.
- They presented us with a very large bill.
- Use the money in the account to cover the bills.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- hefty
- high
- …
- get
- receive
- be landed with
- …
- arrive
- come in
- amount to
- …
- payment
- collector
- bill for
- (especially British English)(North American English usually check)a piece of paper that shows how much you have to pay for the food and drinks that you have had in a restaurant
- Let's ask for the bill.
- Could we have the bill, please?
Synonyms billbill- account
- invoice
- check
- bill a list of goods that you have bought or services that you have used, showing how much you owe; the price or cost of something:
- the gas bill
- account an arrangement with a shop or business to pay bills for goods or services at a later time, for example in regular amounts every month:
- Put it on my account please.
- invoice (rather formal) a bill for goods that somebody has bought or work that has been done for somebody:
- The builders sent an invoice for £250.
- check (North American English) a piece of paper that shows how much you have to pay for the food and drinks that you have had in a restaurant:
- Can I have the check, please?
- the bill/invoice/check for something
- to pay/settle a(n) bill/account/invoice/check
- to put something on the/somebody’s bill/account/invoice/check
Extra ExamplesTopics Shoppinga1, Cooking and eatinga1- Are the coffees on the bill?
- Could I have the bill please?
- The bill came to £120.
- We decided to split the bill (= share the cost of the meal).
- The waiter brought the bill to their table.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + bill- ask for
- bring
- get
- …
- arrive
- come
- come to
- …
enlarge image(North American English)(British English note)(also banknote especially in British English)a piece of paper money- a ten-dollar bill
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- five-dollar
- twenty-dollar
- etc.
- …
- count
- count out
- a written suggestion for a new law that is presented to a country’s parliament so that its members can discuss it
- to introduce/approve/oppose a bill
- Congress passed the energy bill last month.
- Republicans said they would support the bill.
- the Education Reform Bill
Wordfinder- Act
- bill
- chamber
- coalition
- election
- law
- legislation
- parliament
- politician
- vote
CultureIn Britain a bill must be discussed in the House of Commons and the House of Lords before it can become a law. In the US it must be discussed either in the House of Representatives or the senate. If enough people vote for it there, it is discussed in the other house of Congress, and if it is passed it goes to the President, who decides whether or not it should become a law.see also Act of ParliamentExtra ExamplesTopics Law and justiceb2, Politicsb2- The bill will be brought before Parliament next year.
- Republicans will try to push the bill through Congress.
- The bill was brought to the floor of the House last summer.
- The bill became law in June.
- The government has put forward an emergency bill to limit the powers of the police.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- controversial
- comprehensive
- sweeping
- …
- bring forward
- bring in
- introduce
- …
- become law
- contain
- include something
- …
- a programme of entertainment at a theatre, etc.
- a horror double bill (= two horror films shown one after the other)
- Topping the bill (= the most important performer) is violinist Joshua Bell.
- Mozart is on the bill this evening.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- double
- head
- top
- share
- …
- on a/the bill
- a notice in a public place to advertise an event synonym poster
- Post no bills (= a notice warning people not to stick bills in a particular place).
- the hard pointed or curved outer part of a bird’s mouth synonym beakTopics Birdsc2
enlarge image - -billed(in adjectives) having the type of bill mentioned
- long-billed waders
More Like This Compound adjectives for physical characteristicsCompound adjectives for physical characteristics- -beaked
- -bellied
- -billed
- -blooded
- -bodied
- -cheeked
- -chested
- -eared
- -eyed
- -faced
- -fingered
- -footed
- -haired
- -handed
- -headed
- -hearted
- -hipped
- -lidded
- -limbed
- -mouthed
- -necked
- -nosed
- -skinned
- -tailed
- -throated
- -toothed
enlarge image(also visor)(both North American English)(British English peak)the stiff front part of a cap that sticks out above your eyes see also Old Bill
for payment
money
in parliament
at theatre, etc.
advertisement
of birds
on hat
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 6 Middle English (denoting a written list or catalogue): from Anglo-Norman French bille, probably based on medieval Latin bulla ‘seal, sealed document’. noun senses 7 to 9 Old English bile, of unknown origin.
Idioms
a clean bill of health
- a report that says somebody is healthy or that something is in good condition
- Doctors gave him a clean bill of health after a series of tests and examinations.
- The building was given a clean bill of health by the surveyor.
Collocations RestaurantsRestaurantsEating out
- eat (lunch/dinner)/dine/meet at/in a restaurant
- go (out)/take somebody (out) for lunch/dinner/a meal
- have a meal with somebody
- make/have a reservation (in/under the name of Yamada)
- reserve/ (especially British English) book a table for six
- ask for/request a table for two/a table by the window
- wait to be seated
- show somebody to their table
- sit in the corner/by the window/at the bar/at the counter
- hand somebody/give somebody the menu/wine list
- open/read/study/peruse the menu
- the restaurant has a three-course set menu/a children’s menu/an extensive wine list
- taste/sample/try the wine
- the waiter takes your order
- order/choose/have the soup of the day/one of the specials/the house (British English) speciality/(especially North American English) specialty
- serve/finish the first course/the starter/the main course/dessert/coffee
- complain about the food/the service/your meal
- enjoy your meal
- pay/ask for (especially British English) the bill/(North American English) the check
- pay for/treat somebody to dinner/lunch/the meal
- service is (not) included
- give somebody/leave (somebody) a tip
fill/fit the bill
- to be what is needed in a particular situation or for a particular purpose
- On paper, several of the applicants fit the bill.
foot the bill
- (informal) to be responsible for paying the cost of something
- Once again it will be the taxpayer who has to foot the bill.
- Who will be footing the bill for the party?