Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of bill
"The restaurant sent us a long list of bills for all the appetizers and drinks we ordered over the weekend."
In plain English: Bills are pieces of paper money that you use to pay for things.
"We need to pay our electric bills before the end of the month."
Usage: Use "bills" to refer to multiple unpaid invoices sent to customers or the specific monetary amounts owed for goods and services. Do not use this form when referring to a single document, which should be "bill."
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of bill
"The lawyer bills his clients an hourly rate for every hour spent on their cases."
In plain English: To bill someone is to send them a request for payment for goods or services you provided.
"The restaurant bills everyone by splitting the check evenly."
Usage: Use "bills" to describe when someone sends an invoice or charges an amount to a customer. This third-person singular form is correct only when the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun like "the company."
Derived from Old English bill, this term originally referred to a short, broad blade used as a weapon or tool before evolving to mean an invoice or legislative proposal. The modern sense of a document demanding payment stems directly from that initial meaning of a written list or account.