bill of health

noun

1. a certificate, carried by a ship, attesting to the presence or absence of infectious diseases among the ship's crew and at the port from which it has come.

bill of health

noun

1. a certificate, issued by a port officer, that attests to the health of a ship's company

2. informal

   1. a good report of one's physical condition

   2. a favourable account of a person's or a company's financial position

Word History and Origins

Origin of bill of health¹

First recorded in 1635–45

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. clean bill of health, an attestation of fitness or qualification; a commendation.

   The investigating committee gave him a clean bill of health.

Example Sentences

Scotland's autumn squad will be named on 21 October and, with the exception of Huw Jones, it looks like a fairly clean bill of health.

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Hers came back with a near clear bill of health, minus a mild intestinal issue.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Royal Navy said despite the team's best efforts, one of the litter died, though the rest "came through some difficult hours to thrive – receiving a clean bill of health from a local vet".

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But whether USC will have a clean bill of health by then remains to be seen.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She steadily improved and within a year got a clean bill of health.

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