billion

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bil·lion

(bĭl′yən)

1. The cardinal number equal to 10⁹.

2. Chiefly British The cardinal number equal to 10¹².

3. An indefinitely large number.

[French, a million million : blend of bi-, second power; see bi-¹ and million.]

bil′lion adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

billion

(ˈbɪljən)

n, pl -lions or -lion

1. (Mathematics) one thousand million: it is written as 1 000 000 000 or 10⁹

2. (Mathematics) (formerly, in Britain) one million million: it is written as 1 000 000 000 000 or 10¹²

3. (often plural) any exceptionally large number

determiner

(preceded by a or a cardinal number)

a. amounting to a billion: it seems like a billion years ago.

b. (as pronoun): we have a billion here.

[C17: from French, from bi-¹ + -llion as in million]

ˈbillionth adj, n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bil•lion

(ˈbɪl yən)

n., pl. -lions, (as after a numeral) -lion, n.

1. a cardinal number represented by 1 followed by 9 zeroes; a thousand millions.

2. (in Great Britain) a cardinal number represented by 1 followed by 12 zeroes; a million millions.

3. any vaguely large number: I've told you a billion times.

adj.

4. equal in number to a billion.

[1680–90; < French]

bil′lionth, adj., n.

billion

A billion is a thousand million, or 1,000,000,000.

The website gets almost a billion visits each month.

Be Careful!
Don't add '-s' to billion when you put another number in front of it.

In January 1977, there were 4 billion people in the world.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

billion

(bil) A number equal to 109.

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Noun	1.	billion - the number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; in the United Kingdom the usage followed in the United States is frequently seen 1000000000000, one million million Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom large integer - an integer equal to or greater than ten
	2.	billion - a very large indefinite number (usually hyperbole); "there were millions of flies" gazillion, jillion, trillion, zillion, million large indefinite amount, large indefinite quantity - an indefinite quantity that is above the average in size or magnitude
	3.	billion - the number that is represented as a one followed by 9 zeros 1000000000, one thousand million U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. - North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776 large integer - an integer equal to or greater than ten milliard - a billion; "in England they call one thousand million a milliard"
Adj.	1.	billion - denoting a quantity consisting of one thousand million items or units in the United States U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. - North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776 cardinal - being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order; "cardinal numbers"
	2.	billion - denoting a quantity consisting of one million million items or units in Great Britain Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom cardinal - being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order; "cardinal numbers"

Translations

بليونمليارمِلْيَار

biliómiliard

miliardamiliardyv počtu bilionubilionbilión

milliardbillion

Milliarde Billion

δισεκατομμύριο τρισεκατομμύριο

duilionomiliardo

millardo mil millones billón bicuento

miljard

miljardibiljoona

milliard billion

milijarda

GB billiómilliárd

biljón ; miljarîurbiljón; miljarîur

miliardo bilione

10億

10억

bilijonasbilijonas doleriųbilijonas svarųbilijoninismilijardas

miljarda-miljardsmiljardu-

miliard

биллион миллиард триллион

biliónbiliónovýmiliardamiliardový

milijarda

miljardbiljon

พันล้าน

milyar milyon trilyonbir milyar dolar/sterlin

مِلْيُن

tỷ

十亿十亿的数字万亿数量万亿数量万亿的

billion

[ˈbɪlɪən] N (billion or billions (pl)) (= thousand million) → mil millones mpl (Brit) (o.f.) (= million million) → billón m
I've told you a billion times → te lo he dicho infinidad de veces

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

billion

[ˈbɪljən] n

(= one thousand million) → milliard m

(British) (= one million million) → billion m (million de millions)

billions of (= a huge number of) → des milliards de

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

billion

n → Milliarde f; (dated Brit) → Billion f; billions of … (inf) → tausende or Tausende von …

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

billion

[ˈbɪljən] n → miliardo (Brit) (old) → mille miliardi

billion

(ˈbiljən) – plurals ˈbillion (1 ~3), ˈbillions (2, ~3) – noun

1. often in the United Kingdom, the number 1,000,000,000,000; in the United States, and often in the United Kingdom, the number 1,000,000,000. a billion; several billion.

2. often in the United Kingdom, the figure 1,000,000,000,000; in the United States, and often in the United Kingdom, the figure 1,000,000,000.

3. a billion pounds or dollars. The sum involved amounts to several billion(s).

adjective

often in the United Kingdom, 1,000,000,000,000 in number; in the United States and often in the United Kingdom, 1,000,000,000 in number. a few billion stars.

billionaire (ˌbiljəˈneə(r)) noun

a very rich person who has more than a billion dollars, pounds etc. He's not just a millionaire – he's a billionaire!

ˈbillionth noun

one of a billion equal parts.

billion

→ مِلْيَار miliarda milliard Milliarde δισεκατομμύριο billón, mil millones miljardi milliard milijarda miliardo 10億 10억 miljard milliard miliard bilhão, bilião миллиард miljard พันล้าน milyar tỷ 十亿

References in classic literature ?

We will say, for the sake of round figures, that the total production of wealth in the United States is one year is four billion dollars.

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Why, I should have been laughed at for a billion miles around.

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China's population must be seven hundred millions, eight hundred millions, nobody knew how many millions, but at any rate it would soon be a billion. There were two Chinese for every white-skinned human in the world, Burchaldter announced, and the world trembled.

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But come, suppose that I had the power of passing through solid things, so that I could penetrate my subjects, one after another, even to the number of a billion, verifying the size and distance of each by the sense of FEELING: how much time and energy would be wasted in this clumsy and inaccurate method!

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"Well, suppose this house, just as it is, placed a few billion miles above a planet, and with nothing else near enough to disturb it: of course it falls to the planet?"

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"Not for two billion cents would you risk a scrap with me, you money-sweater, you," was Daughtry's retort.

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I wouldn' lay de weight er my finger on um, not f'r ten hund'd thous'n billion dollars, I wouldn't."

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By the toll of a billion deaths man has bought his birthright of the earth, and it is his against all comers; it would still be his were the Martians ten times as mighty as they are.

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All these industries were gathered into buildings near by, connected by galleries and railroads with the main establishment; and it was estimated that they had handled nearly a quarter of a billion of animals since the founding of the plant by the elder Durham a generation and more ago.

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This fluid mass comprises two billions two hundred and fifty millions of cubic miles, forming a spherical body of a diameter of sixty leagues, the weight of which would be three quintillions of tons.

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Now the sights and sounds of this ceremony are broadcast instantaneously to billions around the world.

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Third, that the charge should contain 400,000 pounds of gun-cotton, which, giving out six billions of litres of gas in rear of the projectile, would easily carry it toward the orb of night.