I. ˈbāl, esp bef pause or cons -āəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English bail, baille, from Middle French bail, from baillier to give, deliver, from Latin bajulare to bear a burden, keep in custody, from bajulus porter, load carrier
1. obsolete : custody , jurisdiction
2.
a. obsolete : the custody of a prisoner or one under arrest by one who procures the release of the prisoner or arrested individual by giving surety for his due appearance
b. : the security or obligation given for the due appearance of a prisoner in order to obtain his release from imprisonment
the man is out on bail
c. : the temporary delivery or release of a prisoner upon security for his due appearance
d. : one that agrees to assume legal liability for a money forfeit or damages if a prisoner released on bail fails to make his due appearance in court — compare mainprise
e. : the process by which a person is released from custody
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to deliver (personal property) to another under an agreement express or implied that some special purpose be accomplished by the bailee with respect to the property and that at some time the property be returned to the bailor
she bailed the cloth to the tailor to be made into a dress
2. : to set free, deliver from arrest, or deliver out of custody on an undertaking of another to be responsible for the due appearance of the one so released
the magistrate bailed the prisoner
3. : to procure the release of by giving bail — often used with out
his lawyer bailed him out
4. : to set free from an unpleasant or difficult situation : come to the help of usually through financial aid — used with out
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English bail, baile, from Old French, fortification, stake, perhaps from Latin bajulus porter, load carrier
1. : an outer wall of a feudal castle ; also : the space enclosed by such a wall : court
2. : either of two crosspieces placed end to end on top of the stumps in cricket
3. chiefly Britain
a. : a bar, pole, or partition of suspended boards separating animals (as in an open stable or on shipboard)
b. : a frame for confining the head of a cow : stanchion
c. : a movable open shed often on wheels that is used for milking and supplying concentrates to milch cows : milking parlor
IV. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. archaic : confine
a lofty spirit bailed by human limitation
2. Britain : to make fast with or in a bail — used with up
bail a cow up for milking
3. Australia : to force to a halt : accost , check : detain especially for purposes of robbery — used with up
they were bailed up by a gang of bushrangers — Bill Beatty
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English baile, baille, from Middle French baille, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin bajula, alter of Latin bajulus
: a bucket, dipper, or other container used to remove water that has entered a boat
VI. verb
also bale “
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
: to dip up and throw ; especially : to clear (water) from a boat by dipping and throwing over the side — usually used with out
they spent half an hour bailing out the rowboat
intransitive verb
1. : to dip up and throw out water from a boat
they bailed for hours but the water slowly deepened
2.
a. : to parachute from an aircraft — used with out
b. : to escape from a predicament or avoid responsibility — used with out
VII. noun
also bale “
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English beil, baile, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse beygja to bend — more at bow
1.
a. : a supporting half hoop or horseshoe-shaped strip (as for the cover of a delivery wagon or the canopy of a small boat)
b. : an iron yoke on a life car to suspend it from the hawser
c. : a yoke to the trunnions of a cannon to raise it from the carriage
d. : pivoted arched steel bow on a road scraper to which the motive power is attached
e. : either of two metal clamps that hold a tympan sheet in place in a platen printing press
f. : a hinged bar for holding the paper against the platen of a typewriter
g. angling : an attachment of certain spinning reels that picks up the line for rewinding on the spool
2. : the usually arched handle of a kettle, pail, or similar vessel