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billfold

American  
[bil-fohld] / ˈbɪlˌfoʊld /

noun

  1. a thin, flat, folding fold case, often of leather, for carrying paper money in the pocket and with fewer compartments than a wallet.

  2. wallet.


billfold British  
/ ˈbɪlˌfəʊld /

noun

  1. Also called (in Britain and other countries): wallet.  a small folding case, usually of leather, for holding paper money, documents, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of billfold

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; bill 1 + fold 1

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Explanation

A billfold is a slim wallet meant to hold paper money and a few cards. You might keep your billfold in the back pocket of your jeans. There isn't much difference between a wallet and a billfold: typically, a billfold is thinner and has fewer slots for holding cards. Billfolds are most often made of leather and fit neatly in a pocket. The word dates from the late 1800s, from bill, or "paper money," and fold, which is thought to be short for folder.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After Connor Halsa and a cousin hooked and reeled in what they thought was a fish, they instead found a billfold full of greenbacks.

From Washington Times • Aug. 23, 2023

An unhosted wallet is then, as Coin Telegraph puts it, the crypto equivalent of the billfold where you store your hard cash.

From Slate • Feb. 9, 2022

“It’s kind of like finding a billfold filled with money with a driver’s license on the street,” said House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a conservative Wichita Republican.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2019

Driesell pulled out his billfold and peeled bills off until all his money was gone.

From Washington Post • Mar. 28, 2018

There were several scraps of papers and a billfold containing a few paper rijksdaalders.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom