Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1861, 1934
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BILL, n.2 A kind of fish. (See quots.)Dmf. 1861 J. Robertson Handbook of Angling 171:
A fish, here called bills, which resembles the round-tail fish of Tweed, and runs from two to four and a half pounds weight.m.Dmf.5 1934:
The word "bill" is in common use among shepherds in upper Eskdale and Annandale. It is really a sea trout with a swallow tail that finds its way up the hill burns to spawn.e.Dmf.2 1934:
In this district "bill" is the name given to an old sea-trout, male or female, that has deposited its spawn. In the Tweed district the name applies to the male of the "yellow trout" and "round tail," which has deposited its spawn.
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"Bill n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/bill_n2>
