noun

billhook

BIL-hook

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Billhook (noun) means an agricultural hand tool whose curved, hooked blade is swung to cut through thick woody stems. Example: “He cleared the brambles from the hedge line with a billhook.”

noun

An agricultural hand tool whose curved, hooked blade is swung to cut through thick woody stems.

"He cleared the brambles from the hedge line with a billhook."

"The billhook needs a sharp edge to cut through woody stems cleanly."

"Billhooks come in many regional shapes, each suited to a particular kind of hedging."

The hooked component that ties the knot in a baler's or reaper-binder's knotter.

"The mechanic checked the billhook on the baler before the knotter jammed again."

"A worn billhook can stop the machine from tying a secure knot."

How to use billhook

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA billhook is a curved cutting tool for hedges and thick stems, or, in machinery, the hooked part that ties a knot.

When to use it

It is a practical, workaday term used in gardening, farming and rural trades.

Memory tip

Remember it as bill plus hook: an old blade shape given a hooked cutting edge.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

swing a billhook sharpen a billhook cut with a billhook a billhook and a saw

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He cleared the brambles from the hedge line with a _____.

Etymology

Billhook joins bill, an old word for a bladed pike used as a weapon, with hook. The agricultural sense followed on from the weapon sense, and other later senses grew from further meanings of bill.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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pruning hook hedging bill bill

Related words

account note bill charge card notice measure peak

Rhymes for billhook

ook book look cook rook hook nook kook sook fook mook wook

See all rhymes for billhook →

Frequently asked questions

What is a billhook used for?

As a garden and farm tool it is used for pruning and cutting thick, woody plants such as hedges, and the same name also covers a hooked part in the knot-tying mechanism of a baler.

Where does the name billhook come from?

It combines bill, an old term for a bladed pike, with hook, reflecting the tool's curved, hooked blade.

Is a billhook the same as a machete?

No, a billhook typically has a shorter, more curved blade suited to hedging and pruning rather than the longer straight blade of a machete.

What is the meaning of billhook?

"billhook" (noun) means an agricultural hand tool whose curved, hooked blade is swung to cut through thick woody stems.

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