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billion

/bi.ljɔ̃/

number/bi.ljɔ̃/

trillion (10¹²); billion (10⁹)

Synonyms: mille milliards, milliard

From bi- (“two”) + -illion; i.e., a million million. Coined by Jehan Adam in 1475 as by-million. Rendered as byllion by Nicolas Chuquet in 1484, in his article “Triparty en la science des nombres”.