Etymology

billy

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Today it means: A fellow, companion, comrade, mate; partner, brother. Full definition →

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billy · noun1

Of obscure origin. Perhaps a variant of bully (“companion, mate, comrade”). Compare Scots billie (“a comrade; companion”). Compare also Middle Low German billig (“equitable, reasonable, lawful, fitting, according to natural law, just”).

billy · noun2

Uncertain, but probably extracted from Scots billypot (“a type of cooking pot”), perhaps originally from the name Billy, a diminutive of William. The condom sense from the E-Rotic song Willy, Use a Billy... Boy, referring in turn to Billy Boy, a German brand of condoms.

Billy · proper noun3

Diminutive and pet-form; from Bill + -y.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.