bail

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“
I suppose the Treasury objected, which shows, I am inclined to think, some glimmering of sense on its part As soon as the bail was accepted I began to think of preparations for Oscar's escape.

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Definitions (82)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (20)

  1. noun Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
  2. noun Release from imprisonment provided by the payment of such money.
  3. noun A person who provides this security.
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Examples (50)

  • I had little fear that Maroney would get out, as his bail was fixed at one hundred thousand dollars--double the amount of the robbery The question now arose: What shall we do with Maroney? —  The Expressman and the Detective
  • Finally the judge freed Prale on cash bail of fifty thousand dollars, but designated that the bail could be recalled at any time, and that he was to be in the custody of a member of the police department continually Coadley agreed, and left the jail with his client, a detective going with them to stand guard. —  The Brand of Silence A Detective Story
  • Prale is out on bail--and let it go at that, as far as the public is concerned I grasp you," said the captain. —  The Brand of Silence A Detective Story
  • There was an examination, and, to appear at the trial, the gentleman and witnesses all gave bail--I mean all but me And why didn't you Couldn't get it Steady, hard-working cooper like you; what was the reason you couldn't get bail Steady, hard-working cooper hadn't no friends. —  The Confidence-Man
  • The object afterwards assumed the appearance of a lion with a crocodile's bail, and a serpent with a monkey's head, and lastly of a gorilla, without producing in me any other feeling than that of profound indifference. —  The Gorilla Hunters
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bail:   bailed ·  bailing
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (12)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. Middle English, custody, from Old French, from baillier, to take charge of, from Latin bāiulāre, to carry a load, from bāiulus, carrier of a burden.
  2. From Middle English baille, bucket, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *bāiula, water container, from Latin bāiulāre, to carry a load.
  3. Middle English beil, perhaps from Old English *bēgel or of Scandinavian origin; see bheug- in Indo-European roots.
  4. Old French dialectal, probably from Latin baculum, stick; see bacillus.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (8)

  1. Sometimes improperly bale; early modern English bail, bayle, from Middle English bayle, beyl, prob. from Anglo-Saxon *begel, *bygel (not recorded; cf. byge, a bend, turn, beáh (later English bce), a ring) ( = Dutch beugel, a hoop, ring, bow, stirrup, handle, = Middle Low German bogel, boggel, Low German bögel, a bow, ring, = German biegel, bügel, a bow, bent piece of wood or metal, stirrup, = Danish böjle, a bow, bar, boom-iron, = Swedish bögel, bygel, a bow, hoop, ring, stirrup, = Icelandic bygill, a stirrup); with formative -el, from būgan (past participle bogen) (= German biegen = Icelandic bjūga, etc.), bow, bend, in part from the causative by¯gan, bēgan, Middle English beiʒen, beien, etc., modern English dial. bay ( = German beugen = Icelandic beygja, etc.: see bay), bend: see bow, v., and cf. bow, n.
  2. from bail, n.
  3. from Middle English *baylen, from Old French bailler, baillier, bailier = Provencal bailar, carry, conduct, control, receive, keep in custody, give, deliver, from Latin bajulare, bear a burden, carry, Middle Latin also conduct, control, rule, from bajulus, a bearer, carrier, porter, in Middle Latin (later Italian bailo, balio = Portuguese bailio = Spanish Provencal baile = Old French bail, with Middle Latin reflex baillus, balius, etc.) a governor, administrator, tutor, guardian, feminine bajula (later Old French baille, etc., Middle Latin reflex baila), a governess, nurse. In English the verb, in its customary senses, is rather from the noun: see bail, n.
  4. Early modern English also bayle, bale, from Middle English bayle, baill (Middle Latin ballium, balium), from Old French bail, power, control, custody, charge, jurisdiction, also delivery, from bailler, bailier, conduct, control, etc., deliver. The noun is thus historically from the verb, though in English the verb in some of its senses depends on the noun: see bail, v.
  5. Early modern English also bayle (still sometimes used archaically in def. 6), from Middle English bayle, baile, bail, a barrier, palisade, prob. also a bar ( = D. Flemish balie, a bar, rail), from Old French bail, baile, baille, a barrier, palisade, prob. also (as in modern French dial. bail) a bar, cross-bar (cf. Icelandic bagall, an episcopal staff, crozier), prob. from Latin baculum, baculus, a stick, rod, staff (see baculus, and cf. bail, from Middle Latin *bacula): see bail, v., and cf. deriv. bailey. The noun bail in some senses may be from the verb, but all senses appear to depend ult. on that of a bar, or cross-bar.
  6. Early modern English also bale; apparently from Old French baillier, inclose, shut in, bar, apparently from baille, a bar, cross-bar, barrier; in the second sense, directly from bail, n., 5.
  7. from Middle English beyle, *bayle = Dutch balie = Middle Low German balge, ballige, balleie, Low German balje, a tub, bucket, = G. Danish balje = Swedish balja, a tub, = Italian baglia, a tub, bucket, from French baille, nautical a tub, bucket, pail, prob. from Middle Latin *bacula, a bucket or tub (cf. bacula, a small boat), diminutive of baca, bacca, a tub: see back. Cf. bail, prob. from Latin baculum.
  8. Also less properly bale; early modern English baile, bayle (= Dutch balien, uit-balien); from the noun.
 

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/beɪl/
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