bale

[ beyl ]

See 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.

Origin of bale

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-Latin bala, Anglo-French bale “pack, bale,” from unattested Frankish balla; compare Old High German balo, akin to balla; see ball¹

Other words from bale

baleless, adjective
baler, noun

Other definitions for bale (2 of 5)

bale²

[ beyl ]

nounArchaic.

evil; harm; misfortune.
woe; misery; sorrow.

Origin of bale

First recorded 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”

Other definitions for bale (3 of 5)

bale³

[ beyl ]

noun

bail².

Other definitions for bale (4 of 5)

bale⁴

[ beyl ]

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

a spelling variant of bail³ (defs. 1, 2, 4).

Other definitions for Bâle (5 of 5)

Bâle

[ bahl ]

noun

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

After curing, it is baled and sent to Europe, where it is manufactured into smoking tobacco.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
After curing, it is removed to the packing house and baled in packages, and then transported on mules to the coast for shipping.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
The planters cure by air-drying in sheds, and afterwards it is tied up in hands and baled for export.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
To him it was a baling tin; here there were no boats to be baled out—where was the use of it?
The Beach of Dreams | H. De Vere Stacpoole
The first mate meantime baled out the other quarter boat, and in like manner provisioned and stored her.
Peter the Whaler | W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for bale (1 of 5)

bale¹

/ (beɪl) /

noun

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

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

Origin of bale

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

See also bail out

British Dictionary definitions for bale (2 of 5)

bale²

/ (beɪl) /

nounarchaic

evil; injury
woe; suffering; pain

Origin of bale

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

British Dictionary definitions for bale (3 of 5)

bale³

/ (beɪl) /

verb

a variant spelling of bail 2

British Dictionary definitions for bale (4 of 5)

bale⁴

/ (beɪl) /

noun

a variant spelling of bail 4

British Dictionary definitions for Bâle (5 of 5)

Bâle

/ (bɑl) /

noun

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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