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. clean bill of health 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

We are to be ready to return with him, as he has secured the necessary bill-of-health for 20 us.

From Project Gutenberg