BILLET

In Heraldry, a bearing of which the origin is very uncertain; represented of an oblong square form, sometimes showing the thickne , and always with a flat surface. Billetty, or semee of billets, signifies that the escutcheon or charge is strewed over with these bearings, without regard to particular number or station. BIIiLlON. In Numeration, denotes a million of millions, and is expre ed by 1,0000,0000,0000. The French use the same word to denote a tliousand millions. The term is probably a contraction of bis and million; whence the English signification, a million of millions, appears more according to analogy. Thus biquadratic means the square of a square, or the product of two quadratics. BILLS OF MORTALITY, are accounts of the number of births and burials within a certain district in every week, month, quarter, or year. These were first compiled in London, after the great plague of WXi; and ten vears afterwards began to be returned weekly. Several of the parishes now included within the metropolis (as Marylebone and Pancras) are not within the bills ot mortality. See Mortality. [s. 159]