bale

[ beyl ]

/ beɪl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bale ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a 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.

verb (used with object), baled, bal·ing.

to make or form into bales: to bale wastepaper for disposal.

Nearby words

baldwin, baldwin i, baldwin park, baldwin, james, baldy, bale, bale cubic, balearic islands, baleboste, baleen, baleen whale

Origin of bale

1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-Latin bala, Anglo-French bale pack, bale < Frankish *balla; compare Old High German balo, akin to balla ball¹

Related forms

bale·less, adjectivebal·er, noun

Definition for bale (2 of 7)

bale

[ beyl ]

/ beɪl /

noun Archaic.

evil; harm; misfortune.

woe; misery; sorrow.

Origin of bale

before 1000; Middle English; Old English bealu, balu; cognate with Old Norse bǫl, Old Saxon balu, Old High German balo, Gothic balw-; akin to Russian bolʾ pain, OCS bolŭ ill

Definition for bale (3 of 7)

bale

[ beyl ]

/ beɪl /

noun

bail².

Definition for bale (4 of 7)

bale

⁴

[ beyl ]

/ beɪl /

verb (used with or without object), baled, bal·ing.

bail³(defs 1–3).

Definition for bale (5 of 7)

Bâle

[ bahl ]

/ bɑl /

noun

French name of Basel.

Definition for bale (6 of 7)

bail

or bale

[ beyl ]

/ beɪl /

noun

the semicircular handle of a kettle or pail.

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

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.

Origin of bail

1400–50; late Middle English beyl, perhaps < Old Norse; compare Old Norse beyglast to become bent, equivalent to baug(r) ring (see bee²) + *-il noun suffix + -ast middle infinitive suffix

Definition for bale (7 of 7)

bail

[ beyl ]

/ beɪl /

verb (used with object)

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

to clear of water by dipping (usually followed by out): to bail out a boat.

verb (used without object)

to bail water.

noun

Also bail·er. a bucket, dipper, or other container used for bailing.

Verb Phrases

bail out,

to make a parachute jump from an airplane.
to relieve or assist (a person, company, etc.) in an emergency situation, especially a financial crisis: The corporation bailed out its failing subsidiary through a series of refinancing operations.
to give up on or abandon something, as to evade a responsibility: His partner bailed out before the business failed.

Also bale (for defs 1–3).

Origin of bail

1425–75; late Middle English bayle < Middle French baille a bucket < Vulgar Latin *bāi(u)la; akin to Latin bāiulus carrier. See bail¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bale

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|DAILY BEAST
According 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|DAILY BEAST
But 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|DAILY BEAST
Bale packed on over 40 pounds for the role, and the Academy apparently noticed.
13 Oscar Nomination Shockers: Oprah, Tom Hanks, ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ and More|Marlow Stern|January 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Weinberg was 56 and his wife 48 when the 1980 Abscam sting went down, whereas Bale is 39 and Lawrence 23.
From ‘American Hustle’ to ‘Saving Mr. Banks,’ Why Is Hollywood Hooked On Embellishing the Truth?|Marina Watts, Marlow Stern|January 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Rather surprising for a man so nearly drowned," answered Sir Bale Mardykes.
J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 3|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Not one of them but bore its two ankers of the right French cognac, or its bale of silk of Lyons and lace of Valenciennes.
Rodney Stone|Arthur Conan Doyle
Carelessness on the part of those who had loaded the truck, from which the bale had fallen, led to this accident.
The Iron Horse|R.M. Ballantyne
Thus, at Novgorod, a bale of linen is discovered to be bad, so that "no honourable and good man could be paid in such ware."
The Hansa Towns|Helen Zimmern
And if it overturns, immediately they all go to swimming and they right it, and bale it with calabashes which they carry.
The Life of Christopher Columbus from his own Letters and Journals|Edward Everett Hale

British Dictionary definitions for bale (1 of 9)

bale

/ (beɪl) /

noun

a large bundle, esp of a raw or partially processed material, bound by ropes, wires, etc, for storage or transportationbale of hay

a large package or carton of goods

US 500 pounds of cotton

a group of turtles

Australian and NZ See wool bale

verb

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

Word Origin for bale

C14: probably from Old French bale, from Old High German balla ball 1

British Dictionary definitions for bale (2 of 9)

bale

/ (beɪl) /

noun archaic

evil; injury

woe; suffering; pain

Word Origin for bale

Old English bealu; related to Old Norse böl evil, Gothic balwa, Old High German balo

British Dictionary definitions for bale (3 of 9)

bale

/ (beɪl) /

verb

a variant spelling of bail 2

British Dictionary definitions for bale (4 of 9)

bale

⁴

/ (beɪl) /

noun

a variant spelling of bail 4

British Dictionary definitions for bale (5 of 9)

Bâle

/ (bɑl) /

noun

the French name for Basle

British Dictionary definitions for bale (6 of 9)

bail

/ (beɪl) law /

noun

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

the person or persons so binding themselves; surety

the system permitting release of a person from custody where such security has been takenhe was released on bail

jump bail or formal forfeit bail to fail to appear in court to answer to a charge

stand bail or go bail to act as surety (for someone)

verb (tr)

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

Word Origin for bail

C14: from Old French: custody, from baillier to hand over, from Latin bāiulāre to carry burdens, from bāiulus carrier, of obscure origin

British Dictionary definitions for bale (7 of 9)

bail

bale

/ (beɪl) /

verb

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

Derived Forms

bailer or baler, noun

Word Origin for bail

C13: from Old French baille bucket, from Latin bāiulus carrier

British Dictionary definitions for bale (8 of 9)

bail

/ (beɪl) /

noun

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

agriculture

a partition between stalls in a stable or barn, for horses
a portable dairy house built on wheels or skids

Australian and NZ a framework in a cowshed used to secure the head of a cow during milking

verb

See bail up

Word Origin for bail

C18: from Old French baile stake, fortification, probably from Latin baculum stick

British Dictionary definitions for bale (9 of 9)

bail

⁴

bale

/ (beɪl) /

noun

the semicircular handle of a kettle, bucket, etc

a semicircular support for a canopy

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

Word Origin for bail

C15: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse beygja to bend

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

Idioms and Phrases with bale

bail

In addition to the idiom beginning with bail

bail out

also see:

make bail
out on bail
skip bail