bill chamber (bilcham"ber)

[ billed (bild), a. [ME. billid ; billed bird. billementt, n. See biliment . billet (bil'et), n. [ billette , billette (ML. billet a , F. billet , billette ), dim. of bille , a writing: see bill3 .] 1. A small paper or note in writing; a short letter or document. I got your melancholy billet before we sat down to din- Sterne, Letters, lxxxiv. ner. 2. A ticket given by a billet-master or other officer directing the person to whom it is addre ed to provide board and lodging for the soldier bearing it. The soldiers distributed themselves among the houses of the most opulent citizens, no one escaping a billet who was rich enough to receive such company. Motley, Dutch Republic, II. 547. Hence-3. The place where a soldier is lodged; lodging; accommodation.-4. The place (marked by a numbered hammock-hook) a igned to each of the crew of a man-of-war for slinging his hammock. Hence-5. A place, situation, position, or appointment: as, he is looking for a billet. [Vulgar.]-6t. A ballot or voting-paper. - Act of Billets (Scotch Parliament, 1662), a measure by which the twelve persons exempted from What shall these billets do? be pil'd in my wood-yard? Beau . and Fl ., King and No King, v. 3. IMG:content-2063.png:[blocks in formation] field. Also called billety counter-billety. (b) billingsgate (bil'ingz-gāt), n. [Formerly also Strewed all over with billets. It is usual to Bill ins gate , Bee lings gate , Bellinges zate, arrange the billets alternately, each coming under a space, and the reverse. bill-fish (bil'fish), n. [ bill1 (cf. its L. name, belone, βελόνη , a sharp point) + fish . ] 1. The long-nosed gar, or common garpike, Lepi- dosteus o eus , a fish of the family Lepidosteida . See garpike .-2. The skipper, Scomberesox sau- rus , a synentognathous fish of the family Scom- beresocida or family Exocœtid a . Also called saury.-3. The spear-fish, Tetrapturus albidus , of the family Histiophorida . It has a prolonged beak like a swordfish, and occurs along the eastern coast of the United States and in the Caribbean sea. 4. One of the garfishes, Tylosurus longirostris , of the family Belonida . See garfish , and cut bill-hawk (bil'hak), n. A form of saw-tooth, so called from a certain resemblance to a hawk's bill-head (bil'hed), n. [ bill3 + head.] A printed paper containing the name, addre , and busine of a person or firm, etc., with space below for adding dding an account in writing. bill-hook (bil'hük), n. [ [ hook .] A form of small hatchet curved inward at the point of the cutting edge, used for pruning trees, hedges, and the like, and by sappers and miners to cut pickets, pick rods, and withes for gabions, fascines, hurdles, sap rollers, etc. billiard, See billiards . 2. In her ., a bearing in the form of a small rectangle, usually set with the long sides vert i- cal. The number, position, and tincture must always be specified: thus, the illustration shows three billets azure in chief. Billets should always be represented flat, with- out shadow or relief. See brick2 , 4. 3. In arch .: (a) An ornament much used in early medieval work, consisting of an imitation of a wooden billet, or a small section of a rod, of which a se- ries are placed at regular inter- vals in or upon a molding, usu- IMG:content-2064.png:[blocks in formation] billet-cable (bil'et-kā"bl), n . [ billet2 + cable .] A molding occurring in early medieval arch i- tecture, consisting of a torus or cable orna- mented with billets. billet-doux (bil-e-dö'), n.; pl. billets - doux . [F.; lit., sweet letter: billet , see billet1 , n.; doux , billets - doux under the table. Lamb , New Year's Coming of Age. billetée (bil-e-tā'), a. [F. billeté , ée, billette : see billet2 .] In her ., same as billety . billet-head (bil'et-hed), n. [ billet2 + head.] 1. Naut .: ( a ) A cylindrical piece of timber fixed in the bow or stern of a whaling-boat, round which the line is run out when the whale darts off after being harpooned. Also called bollard . ( b ) Same as scroll - head .-2. A loggerhead. billeting-roll (bil'et-ing-rol), n. [ billeting ( billet2 , a stick, + -ing1 ) + roll .] A set of rollers having flattening and edging grooves, used in rolling iron into merchantable bars. billet-master (bil'et-master), n . One whose duty is to i ue billets to soldiers. IMG:content-2065.png:[blocks in formation] billiard-ball (bilyärd-bal), n. small round ivory ball used in play- ing billiards. billiard-cloth (bil'yärd-klôth), n. A fine green woolen cloth, piece-dyed, from 72 to 81 inches wide, manufactured to cover billiard-tables. IMG:content-2066.png:[blocks in formation] billiard-cue (bilyärd-kū), stick with which billiard-players strike the balls. billiard ist (bil'yär-dist), n. [ billiard -s + -ist.] One skilled in the game of billiards; a profes- sional billiard-player. billiard-marker (bil'yärd-märker), n. 1. One who attends on players at billiards and records the progre of the game.-2. An apparatus for registering the points and games scored at billiards. billiards (bil'yärdz), n. [Formerly also spelled billiard , bill yards ( -lli- , -lly- , li- , -lly-, to indicate the for- IMG:content-2067.png:[blocks in formation] 3.1 bill3 .] A game played by two or more persons, on a rectangular table of special construction (see billiard - table ), with ivory balls, which the players, by means of cues, cause to strike against each other. Formerly in the United States the game was played with four balls on a table having six pockets, the players scoring both for caroms and for driv- ing the balls into the pockets. (See carom .) This is nearly the present English game . Since, however, expert players could continue an inning at the game thus played almost without limit, the pockets were dispensed with and count- ing was made to depend entirely upon caroms. Later, pro- fe ional players adopted what is known as the French game , in which only three balls are used, and this was mod- ified to the champions ' game , in which a line, called a balk- line , is drawn cro ing cach corner of the table diagonally, within which two counts only can be made. Experts now play also cushion - caroms , in which the cue-ball must touch cushion before hitting the second object-ball, or hit the second ball again on a return from the cushion; the balk- line game , which is the same as the champions' game, but with balk-lines 14 inches from the cushion all round the table; and the bank - game , in which the cue-ball must hit the cushion before touching any other ball. [The singular form, billiard , is occasionally used, and is always employed in composition. With aching heart, and discontented looks, Returns at noon to billiard or to books. IMG:content-2068.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-2069.png:[blocks in formation] billot (bil'ot), n. [F., dim. of bille : see billet2 .] Same as billet2 . billow (bil'o), n . [Early mod. E. also bellow ; prob. bylgja (through an unrecorded ME. * bylge ) = Sw. bölja = Dan. bölge , a billow, = OD. bolghe , bulghe = LG . bulge = OHG. * bulga , MHG. G. bulge , a billow, prob. related to OHG. bulgā , MHG. G. bulge , a bag; ult. belgan , swell, swell up, whence also bellows, belly , etc. Cf. bulge .] A great wave or surge of the sea, occasioned usually by a violent wind: much used in figurative applica- tions, and often, especially in the plural, as merely equivalent to wave : as, the billows of sorrow rolled over him. You stand upon the rivage and behold A city on the inconstant billows dancing. billiard-table (bil'yärd-ta"bl), n. A table on which the game of billiards is played. It is made of mahogany or other hard wood, of strong and heavy construction, and has a raised cushioned ledge all round, the area thus formed consisting of a bed of slate or marble covered with fine green cloth. The size varies, the smallest common size being 10 by 5 feet, and the largest 12 by 6 feet. Some tables are provided with six pockets, one at each cor- ner and one in the middle of each of the long sides; others have four pockets; but billiard-tables are now, except in England, commonly made without pockets. billing (bil'ing), n. [Ppr. of billl , v .] A care - ing after the fashion of doves; love-making: as, "your billings and cooings," Leigh Hunt.