Dictionary.com

bale

1
[ beyl ]
/ beɪl /
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.

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Origin of bale

1
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, adjectivebaler, noun

Definition for bale (2 of 5)

bale2
[ beyl ]
/ beɪl /

noun Archaic.

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

Origin of bale

2
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”

Definition for bale (3 of 5)

bale3
[ beyl ]
/ beɪl /

noun

bail2.

Definition for bale (4 of 5)

bale4
[ beyl ]
/ beɪl /

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

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

Definition for bale (5 of 5)

Bâle
[ bahl ]
/ bɑl /

noun

French name of Basel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to bale

bundle, parcel, package

Example sentences from the Web for bale

British Dictionary definitions for bale (1 of 5)

bale1
/ (beɪl) /

noun

verb

See also bail out

Word Origin for bale

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

British Dictionary definitions for bale (2 of 5)

bale2
/ (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 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 bale (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