Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1721, 1786-1910
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BILL, n.1 Common Sc. for Eng. bull. Hence bill-trout, a bull-trout (Knr. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fife (1803) 284). [bɪl] The alternative form everywhere is [bʌl]Abd. 1875 G. Macdonald Malcolm 1xii.:
"Freen' o' mine!" exclaimed the Partaness. "We gree like twa bills (bulls) i' the same park!"wm.Sc. 1835 Laird of Logan II. 6:
Logan . . . cried out, "Rin into the house ye deevils! e'en the vera bill canna' stan' the sicht o' cards on the sabbath-day!"Ayr. 1786 Burns Address to the Deil x.:
An' dawtet, twal-pint Hawkie's gane As yell's the Bill.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 49:
Nae twa were ever seen mair thick Than brawny an' the bill.Uls. 1910 C. C. Russell People and Lang. of Uls. 25:
"Bull" (bool) becomes "bull," as in "skull," and finally "bill."
Comb.: †bill-siller, the fine formerly imposed by the Kirk sessions in cases of fornication.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems 23:
When right sair fleed, He gart them good Bill-siller pay.
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"Bill n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/bill_n1>
