handbill

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈhændˌbɪl/ UK /ˈhændˌbɪl/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a small printed advertisement or notice distributed by hand

A boy stood on the corner pressing handbills into passersby's palms.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a small printed... flyer leaflet circular pamphlet notice broadside

Word family

Related forms handbook bill

Etymology

A compound of hand (Old English hand) and bill ('a written document, notice', from Anglo-Latin billa, Medieval Latin bulla 'sealed document'), denoting a notice distributed by hand.

hand Old English bulla Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

# handbill

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈhændˌbɪl
**IPA (UK):** ˈhændˌbɪl

## Meanings
1. a small printed advertisement or notice distributed by hand

## Examples
- A boy stood on the corner pressing handbills into passersby's palms.

## Synonyms
- flyer
- leaflet
- circular
- pamphlet
- notice
- broadside

## Related Forms
- handbook
- bill

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hand
- Root: bulla

## Etymology
A compound of hand (Old English hand) and bill ('a written document, notice', from Anglo-Latin billa, Medieval Latin bulla 'sealed document'), denoting a notice distributed by hand.

## AI Etymology
Handbill is a compound of hand (Old English hand) and bill ('a written document, notice', from Anglo-Latin billa, Medieval Latin bulla 'sealed document'), denoting a notice distributed by hand. The etymological trail includes Old English hand and Latin bulla. As a noun, handbill names a small printed advertisement or notice distributed by hand. The same family is visible in related forms such as handbook and bill. The analysis is partly morphological, with the modern form built from the elements named in the history.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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handbill

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