/ beɪl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
a large amount of a light material pressed tightly together and tied up :
bales of hay / straw / cotton / wool
■ verb
1.
[ vn ] to make sth into bales :
The waste paper is baled, then sent for recycling.
2.
[ vn , vn to inf ] ( BrE ) = bail
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PHRASAL VERBS
- bale out | bale sth out | bale sb out
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : probably from Middle Dutch , from Old French ; ultimately of Germanic origin and related to ball spherical object .