bill

A statement showing how much you must pay for goods or services.

• The bill is due tomorrow.
• Our heating bills rose last winter.
• Could we have the bill, please?

How to use it: bill for something (I received a bill for the repairs.)

Similar words: invoice

Common phrases: pay a bill, electricity bill, bill for something, unpaid bill

A piece of paper money.

• I found a dollar bill.
• She paid with two twenty-dollar bills.
• Can you change this bill?

Similar words: banknote, note

Common phrases: dollar bill, twenty dollar bill, counterfeit bill

A written plan for a new law that politicians discuss and vote on.

• Parliament passed the bill.
• The new bill would protect forests.
• Senators debated three bills yesterday.

Similar words: draft law

Common phrases: pass a bill, introduce a bill, bill on something

The hard part of a bird’s mouth.

• The duck has a yellow bill.
• The bird carried a fish in its bill.
• Their bills are long and thin.

Similar words: beak

Common phrases: duck bill, long bill, yellow bill, platypus bill

To send someone a statement saying how much they must pay.

• They bill us every month.
• The dentist billed me for the treatment.
• Will you bill my insurance company?

How to use it: bill someone for something (The company billed us for delivery.); bill someone an amount (The hotel billed me fifty euros.)

Similar words: charge, invoice

Common phrases: bill someone for, bill someone directly, bill a customer

To advertise a person or event, often using a particular description.

• They billed her as a rising star.
• The concert was billed as a family event.
• He was billed above the other actors.

How to use it: bill someone/something as something (They billed the show as a musical adventure.)

Similar words: advertise, promote

Common phrases: bill someone as, bill something as, bill a performer