bale¹

[beyl]

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 bale¹

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

Related formsbale·less, adjectivebal·er, noun

bale²

[beyl]

noun Archaic.

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

Origin of bale²

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

bale³

[beyl]

noun

bail².

bale⁴

[beyl]

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

bail³(defs 1–3).

Bâle

[bahl]

noun

French name of Basel.

bail²

or bale

[beyl]

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 bail²

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

bail³

[beyl]

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,
1. to make a parachute jump from an airplane.
2. 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.
3. 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 bail³

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. 2018

Related Words

bundle parcel package

Examples from the Web for bales

Contemporary Examples

“Bales is the beginning and not the end,” says Swift of the PTSD cases.
Will a Military Panel Show Any Mercy for Staff Sgt. Robert Bales?
Christine Pelisek
August 21, 2013
Whether that message resonates beyond the coverage of Bales case, though, remains to be seen.
Bales, Accused of Massacring Afghans, Will Try to Put the War on Trial
Winston Ross
January 3, 2013
Bales reportedly showed risk factors for alcohol abuse, including violent behavior while drunk.
Pendleton Marines’ Car Crash Raises Questions of Alcohol Abuse in Military
Jamie Reno
June 17, 2012
Is Bales a rogue soldier with a drinking problem who went off on a killing spree?
Military’s Internet Scrub of Robert Bales Data Was a Futile Whitewash Bid
Winston Ross
March 26, 2012
Still, the news about Bales struck particularly close to home for the 27-year-old mother of three.
Military Wives Rally Around Wife of Accused Afghanistan Shooter Robert Bales
Jesse Ellison
March 22, 2012

Historical Examples

The fact remains, that we place the 100 bales at your disposal.
Bremen Cotton Exchange
Andreas Wilhelm Cramer
My lawyer tells me, that every bale and every part of the bales must be equal to the sample.
Bremen Cotton Exchange
Andreas Wilhelm Cramer
Boxes, bales, parcels and packages of every sort were heaped all about.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930
Various
Bless your dear heart, we can land our bales there under their very noses!
Kilgorman
Talbot Baines Reed
That's the way to get rich, my lass; look after the pieces and the bales'll look after themselves.'
Sarah's School Friend
May Baldwin

British Dictionary definitions for bales

bale¹

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

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

bale²

noun archaic

evil; injury
woe; suffering; pain

Word Origin

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

bale³

verb

a variant spelling of bail 2

bale⁴

noun

a variant spelling of bail 4

Bâle

noun

the French name for Basle

bail¹

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

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

bail²

bale

verb

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

Derived Formsbailer or baler, noun

Word Origin

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

bail³

noun

cricket either of two small wooden bars placed across the tops of the stumps to form the wicket
agriculture
1. a partition between stalls in a stable or barn, for horses
2. 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

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

bail⁴

bale

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

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

Word Origin and History for bales

bail

n.1

"bond money," late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of "temporary release from jail" (into the custody of another, who gives security), recorded from early 15c. That evolved from earlier meaning "captivity, custody" (early 14c.). From Old French baillier "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from Latin bajulare "to bear a burden," from bajulus "porter," of unknown origin. In late 18c. criminal slang, to give leg bail meant "to run away."

bail

v.1

"to dip water out of," 1610s, from baile (n.) "small wooden bucket" (mid-14c.), from nautical Old French baille "bucket, pail," from Medieval Latin *bajula (aquae), literally "porter of water," from Latin bajulare "to bear a burden" (see bail (n.1)). To bail out "leave suddenly" (intransitive) is recorded from 1930, originally of airplane pilots. Related: Bailed; bailing.

bale

n.

"large bundle or package," early 14c., from Old French bale "rolled-up bundle," from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German balla "ball"), from Proto-Germanic *ball-, from PIE *bhel- (2) "to blow, swell" (see bole).

bail

n.2

"horizontal piece of wood in a cricket wicket," c.1742, originally "any cross bar" (1570s), probably identical with Middle French bail "horizontal piece of wood affixed on two stakes," and with English bail "palisade wall, outer wall of a castle" (see bailey).

bail

v.2

"to procure someone's release from prison" (by posting bail), 1580s, from bail (n.1); usually with out. Related: Bailed; bailing.

Idioms and Phrases with bales

bail

In addition to the idiom beginning with bail

bail out

also see:

make bail
out on bail
skip bail

bale.css-pdubzd{font-size:17px;vertical-align:super;}1

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}bale1

bale2

Origin of bale2

bale3

bale4

Bâle

bail2

or bale

Origin of bail2

bail3

Origin of bail3

Related Words

Examples from the Web for bales

Contemporary Examples

“Bales is the beginning and not the end,” says Swift of the PTSD cases.

Whether that message resonates beyond the coverage of Bales case, though, remains to be seen.

Bales reportedly showed risk factors for alcohol abuse, including violent behavior while drunk.

Is Bales a rogue soldier with a drinking problem who went off on a killing spree?

Still, the news about Bales struck particularly close to home for the 27-year-old mother of three.

Historical Examples

The fact remains, that we place the 100 bales at your disposal.

My lawyer tells me, that every bale and every part of the bales must be equal to the sample.

Boxes, bales, parcels and packages of every sort were heaped all about.

Bless your dear heart, we can land our bales there under their very noses!

That's the way to get rich, my lass; look after the pieces and the bales'll look after themselves.'

bale1

Word Origin

bale2

Word Origin

bale3

bale4

Bâle

bail1

Word Origin

bail2

bale

Word Origin

bail3

Word Origin

bail4

bale

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for bales

bail

n.1

bail

v.1

bale

n.

bail

n.2

bail

v.2

Idioms and Phrases with bales

bail

bale¹

Origin of bale¹

bale²

Origin of bale²

bale³

bale⁴

bail²

Origin of bail²

bail³

Origin of bail³

bale¹

bale²

bale³

bale⁴

bail¹

bail²

bail³

bail⁴