A billet was a specific and standardised form of wood fuel of significant importance in the traditional pre–fossil fuel economy. The term could also be applied to a cudgel.Billet
Nature and use Billets were especially designed for burning on open hearth fires, often in conjunction with spits.R Fortey, The Wood for the Trees (2016) p. 154
Measurements and cost The 16th C standardised a billet as three foot four inches in length, and ten inches around.R Fortey, The Wood for the Trees (2016) p. 154 and p. 207
A century later, Anthony A Wood recorded a load of billet wood as costing 12s 6d; while extravagance consisted of "burning in one yeare threescore pounds worth of the choicest billet".Anthony à Wood, The Life and Times Of Anthony Wood (1891) p. 501 and p. 396
Literary references The William Shakespeare play Measure for Measure contains the phrase "beat out my brains with billets".P Alexander ed., William Shakespeare: The Complete Works (London 1962) p. 105 (IV.ii.50-1)
See also Bavin (wood) Fascine billet (heraldry) References
External links Definition of billet