/ beɪl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ U ] money that sb agrees to pay if a person accused of a crime does not appear at their trial. When bail has been arranged, the accused person is allowed to go free until the trial :
Can anyone put up bail for you?
She was released on £2 000 bail .
Bail was set at $1 million.
He committed another offence while he was out on bail (= after bail had been agreed) .
The judge granted / refused bail .
She jumped / skipped bail (= did not appear at her trial) .
2.
[ C , usually pl. ] ( in cricket ) either of the two small pieces of wood on top of each set of three wooden posts (called stumps )
■ verb ( BrE also bale )
1.
to release sb on bail :
[ vn to inf ]
He was bailed to appear in court on 15 March.
[also vn ]
2.
[ v ] ( NAmE , informal ) to leave a place, especially quickly :
Sorry, I really have to bail.
3.
[ vn ] bail sb (up) ( AustralE , NZE , informal ) to approach sb and talk to them, often when they do not want this
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PHRASAL VERBS
- bail out (of sth)
- bail out | bail (sth) out
- bail sb out
- bail sb out (of sth)
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WORD ORIGIN
noun sense 1 and verb Middle English : from Old French , literally custody, jurisdiction , from bailler take charge of, from Latin bajulare bear a burden.
noun sense 2 Middle English (denoting the outer wall of a castle): from Old French baile palisade, enclosure, baillier enclose, perhaps from Latin baculum rod, stick.
pvsym. early 17th cent.: from obsolete bail bucket, from French baille , based on Latin bajulus carrier.