[f. BILL sb.3]
† 1. trans. To enter (in a bill, book, catalog, account or reckoning). Obs.
c. 1305. Leg. Holy Rood (1871), 138. Pardoun in book is billed.
1615. Bp. Hall, Content. (1645), 58. There is none of all our cates here, but must be billed up.
1629. H. Burton, Babel no Bethel, 52. The Authours billed and catalogued by Brierly.
1656. Jenkyn, On Jude (1845), 85. The impenitent are billed and booked by God, and at length God will call in his debts.
b. U.S. To enter in a railway book or way-bill; to ‘book.’
1867. Vermont Rep., XL. 326. The station agent … billed the plaintiff’s goods through to C.
1881. Chicago Times, 16 April. There were four hundred cars of grain billed to St. Louis.
1883. St. James’s Gaz., 15 March. It was a young lady … about nineteen years of age, and billed from Selma, Alabama, to New York.
† 2. To enter (a person) in a list (e.g., of soldiers for service), to enroll. Obs.
1460. Capgrave, Chron. (1858), 278. And officeres inquired whi he was so bold for to bille hem.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 190 a. There was one persone bewraied, that had billed hymself in the noumbre of the sickefolkes.
1567. Grindal, Lett., Wks. (1843), 292. He might bill three or four grave men, whereof her Majesty might make choice.
1633. T. Adams, Exp. 2 Pet. ii. 3. As if they were booked, enrolled, and billed to this confusion.
† 3. To make (one) the subject or object of a bill; to libel, lampoon; to indict; to petition. Obs.
c. 1450. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 228. Yt is myche lesse harme to bylle thanne to kylle.
1537. State Papers Hen. VIII., I. 547. We haue neither billed any suche nomber of persounes … ne purpose to call uppe any oon persoune.
1728. Ramsay, Wks. (1848), III. 137. Poor Pousies … bill’d the judge, that he wad please To give them the remaining cheese.
4. To announce or advertise by bill.
1694. R. L’Estrange, Fables, cccc. (ed. 6), 429. A Composition that he Bill’d about, under the name of a Sovereign Antidote.
1871. Daily News, 21 March, 6/3. At the Opera to-night Flick und Flock is ‘billed.’
1884. Manch. Exam., 1 Oct., 5/5. The leading feature of the Pall Mall Gazette ‘special’ … so loudly billed to-night.
5. To plaster over, occupy, or crowd with bills.
1851. Househ. Wds., II. 601. All traces of the broken windows were billed out, the doors were billed across.
1884. E. Ingersoll, in Harper’s Mag., Sept., 509. The advance agent thought this town, having so large a tributary population, would be a good place for his man, and so he ‘billed’ it.
