bail

¹ American  

[beyl] / beɪl /

noun

1. property or money given as surety that a person released from custody will return at an appointed time.

2. the person who agrees to be liable if someone released from custody does not return at an appointed time.

3. the state of release upon being bailed.

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verb (used with object)

1. to grant or obtain the liberty of (a person under arrest) on security given for their appearance when required, such as in court for trial.

2. to deliver possession of (goods) for storage, hire, or other special purpose, without transfer of ownership.

idioms

1. on bail, (of a temporarily released person under arrest) having provided bail.

   He was out on bail within 10 hours of his arrest.

2. go / stand bail for, to provide bail for.

   They spent the night in jail because no one would stand bail for them.

3. jump bail, to fail to return while free on bail.

   The suspect jumped bail and is now being sought.

bail ² American  

[beyl] / beɪl /

Rarely bale

noun

1. the semicircular handle of a kettle or pail.

2. a hooplike support, as for the canvas cover on a Conestoga wagon.

3. a metal band or bar equipped with rollers for holding a sheet or sheets of paper against the platen of a printing press, typewriter, etc.

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bail ³ American  

[beyl] / beɪl /

Also bale

verb (used with object)

1. to dip (water) out of a boat, as with a bucket.

2. to clear of water by dipping (usually followed byout ).

   to bail out a boat.

3. to relieve or assist (a person, company, etc.) in an emergency situation, especially a financial crisis (often followed byout ).

   The corporation bailed out its failing subsidiary through a series of refinancing operations.

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verb (used without object)

1. to clear a boat of water, as with a bucket.

   They flipped the canoe back to its upright position and started bailing rapidly.

2. to make a parachute jump from an airplane (often followed byout ).

3. to give up on or abandon something, as to evade a responsibility (often followed byout ).

   My cousin volunteered to help but bailed at the last minute.

noun

1. Also bailer. a bucket, dipper, or other container used for bailing.

bail ⁴ American  

[beyl] / beɪl /

noun

1. Cricket. either of the two small bars or sticks laid across the tops of the stumps which form the wicket.

2. British, Australian. a bar, framework, partition, or the like, for confining or separating cows, horses, etc., in a stable.

3. Obsolete. bails, the wall of an outer court of a feudal castle.

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verb phrase

1. bail up

   1. to confine a cow for milking, as in a bail.

   2. to force (one) to surrender or identify oneself or to state one's business.

   3. to waylay or rob (someone).

idioms

1. bail up! (the cry of challenge of a pioneer or person living in the bush.)

bail ¹ British  

/ beɪl /

noun

1. a sum of money by which a person is bound to take responsibility for the appearance in court of another person or himself or herself, forfeited if the person fails to appear

2. the person or persons so binding themselves; surety

3. the system permitting release of a person from custody where such security has been taken

   he was released on bail

4. to fail to appear in court to answer to a charge

5. to act as surety (for someone)

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verb

1. (often foll by out) to release or obtain the release of (a person) from custody, security having been made

bail ² British  

/ beɪl /

noun

1. cricket either of two small wooden bars placed across the tops of the stumps to form the wicket

2. agriculture

   1. a partition between stalls in a stable or barn, for horses

   2. a portable dairy house built on wheels or skids

3. a framework in a cowshed used to secure the head of a cow during milking

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verb

1. See bail up

bail ³ British  

/ beɪl /

noun

1. the semicircular handle of a kettle, bucket, etc

2. a semicircular support for a canopy

3. a movable bar on a typewriter that holds the paper against the platen

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bail ⁴ British  

/ beɪl /

verb

1. (often foll by out) to remove (water) from (a boat)

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bail More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bail

• make bail
• out on bail
• skip bail

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Other Word Forms

• bailer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of bail¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English bayle, from Anglo-French bail “custody, charge,” from Old French, noun derivative of baillier “to hand over,” from Latin bāiulāre “to serve as porter,” verbal derivative of bāiulus “porter,” perhaps a Latin borrowing from Moesia, from unattested ba(r)i- “carry”; see bear ¹

Origin of bail²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English beyl, perhaps from Old Norse; compare Old Norse beyglast “to become bent,” equivalent to baug(r) “ring” ( see bee ²) + unattested -il noun suffix + -ask reflexive infinitive suffix

Origin of bail³

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English bayle, from Middle French baille “a bucket,” from unattested Vulgar Latin bāi(u)la; akin to Latin bāiulus “carrier”; see bail ¹

Origin of bail⁴

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English baile, from Old French, from Latin bacula, plural of baculum “stick”

Explanation

Bail can be a verb or a noun. When you bail (verb) someone out of jail, you post money, also known as bail (noun), to assure the authorities that person won't try to run away before going to trial. As a noun, bail means bond money. This comes from the Middle English word bayle, for "captivity." As a verb, the idea of "bailing out" comes from the later word baile, which means “dipping out,” a meaning you can use when you are trying to empty something flooded. If your boat has a leak, you should bail it out (then plug the leak). When you bail, in the colloquial sense, you escape in some way.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bail

The excessive fines clause is the neglected middle child of the Eighth Amendment, wedged between excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment, and almost never litigated.

From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026

As investors bail on chip stocks, they are taking a fresh look at software stocks, which have been weighed down by artificial-intelligence concerns.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

"The decision to grant bail to an individual accused of transporting a bomb is deeply alarming and raises serious questions about priorities within the criminal justice system," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Bush, who is on bail, arrived at court with his face covered with a baseball cap and scarf.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

The great irony was that he got bail because he told the judge that if he was in jail, he couldn’t earn money to support his kids.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• bond
• warrant