A place where soldiers are temporarily housed, or a short written note or letter.
From Old French billet, diminutive of bulle (document or seal), from Latin bulla (bubble, seal). Originally meant a sealed official letter or pass. The military housing meaning developed later as soldiers needed temporary quarters and received billeting documents or assignments.
During wartime, soldiers were 'billeted' in civilian homes, which could be terrifying or life-saving depending on the occupants—Anne Frank's family lived in hiding while German soldiers were billeted in Amsterdam homes.
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