Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

billy

/ˈbɪli/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.33 in modern English

Syllables
bil-ly
IPA
/ˈbɪli/
10
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A fellow, companion, comrade, mate; partner, brother.

noun

A good friend.

noun

A billy goat.

noun

A silk handkerchief.

British usage; Obsolete; Slang

noun

A highwayman's club, billy club.

noun

A slubbing or roving machine.

noun

A tin with a swing handle used to boil tea over an open fire; a billycan; a billypot.

Australian usage; New Zealand usage

noun

A bong for smoking marijuana.

Australian usage; Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

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”).

Usage

Inflected Forms

billies (plural) Billys (plural) Billie (alternative)

Derived Forms

billygoat billyhood hillbilly swampbilly billycan billyful Billster Billygate Billyish Billyjean

Phrases

billy boy billy buttons billy-cock billy-goat billy-o billy-oh silly-billy Silly Billy

Frequently Paired Words

Billie

Synonyms

billy goat he-goat truncheon nightstick baton billystick billy club

Homonyms

Billie billy bili billi

Rhymes With

really silly chile lily willie chili philly willy lilly chilly billie millie

Questions

How do you pronounce billy?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɪli/.
What does billy mean?
A fellow, companion, comrade, mate; partner, brother.
Where does billy come from?
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”).

How to pronounce billy

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “billy”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɪli/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “billy”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “billy” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.