bale
1a large bundle or package prepared for shipping, storage, or sale, especially one tightly compressed and secured by wires, hoops, cords, or the like, and sometimes having a wrapping or covering: a bale of cotton; a bale of hay.
a group of turtles.
to make or form into bales: to bale wastepaper for disposal.
Origin of bale
1Other words from bale
- baleless, adjective
- baler, noun
Words Nearby bale
Other definitions for bale (2 of 5)
evil; harm; misfortune.
woe; misery; sorrow.
Origin of bale
2Other definitions for bale (3 of 5)
Other definitions for bale (4 of 5)
Other definitions for Bâle (5 of 5)
French name of Basel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bale in a sentence
With his anachronistic attitude toward the biblical story, bale is just following the lead of his director.
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist | Candida Moss, Joel Baden | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAccording to bale, Moses was “one of the most barbaric individuals that I ever read about in my life.”
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist | Candida Moss, Joel Baden | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTPerhaps Christian bale should be the first to take this advice to heart—at least the “sit down” part.
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist | Candida Moss, Joel Baden | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut bale appears to have concluded that Moses may have been more bad than good.
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist | Candida Moss, Joel Baden | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTypical of the posts was one woman who suggested that if Christian bale could play Moses, then maybe Idris Elba could play JFK.
White Guys Still Get The Best Bible Roles in Hollywood | Lewis Beale | September 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Each thing bore on his back a bale of goods, or a bar of metal, a burden sizeable enough for two ordinary men.
Valley of the Croen | Lee TarbellIt takes 75,000 of them to make one bale of cotton, so I'm afraid you couldn't make even a handkerchief out of these.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch | Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) PorterThere was also a large bale of things like cigarettes and gloves from other associations, but nothing to touch your consignments.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie | George Brenton LaurieEvery bale was turned over, and the length verified to ascertain the exact value of the remnant.
At the Sign of the Cat and Racket | Honore de BalzacThere was Old Slade, from over on the bluff opposite, slyly cutting a sliver of salt fish from one in the bale upon which he sat.
The Rival Campers Afloat | Ruel Perley Smith
British Dictionary definitions for bale (1 of 5)
/ (beɪl) /
a large bundle, esp of a raw or partially processed material, bound by ropes, wires, etc, for storage or transportation: bale of hay
a large package or carton of goods
US 500 pounds of cotton
a group of turtles
Australian and NZ See wool bale
to make (hay, etc) into a bale or bales
to put (goods) into packages or cartons
Australian and NZ to pack and compress (wool) into wool bales
Origin of bale
1- See also bail out
British Dictionary definitions for bale (2 of 5)
/ (beɪl) /
evil; injury
woe; suffering; pain
Origin of bale
2British Dictionary definitions for bale (3 of 5)
/ (beɪl) /
a variant spelling of bail 2
British Dictionary definitions for bale (4 of 5)
/ (beɪl) /
a variant spelling of bail 4
British Dictionary definitions for Bâle (5 of 5)
/ (bɑl) /
the French name for Basle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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