bail1
/beɪl
/noun [mass noun]
1The temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on condition that a sum of money is lodged to guarantee their appearance in court: he has been released on bail...
- The defendants were released on bail at Cork District Court yesterday for sentencing on February 15.
- A Kirkwall man was released on bail from Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to assault and breach of the peace.
- Howley was charged with the first of these alleged offences on Friday - two days after he was released on bail from Kirkwall Sheriff Court for a catalogue of admitted crimes.
1.1Money paid by or for someone in order to secure their release on bail: they feared the financier would be tempted to forfeit the £10 million bail and flee...
- His family today confirmed they cannot pay the five million drachma bail money which has been set by the judges presiding over his case.
- The great grandson of the famed make-up artist was supposed to be wearing an electronic tracking device while free on $1 million bail.
- If one of the world's most famous entertainers did not show up in one hour, he would be sent to jail, losing $3 million bail.
verb [with object]
Release or secure the release of (a prisoner) on payment of bail: nine were bailed on drugs charges [with object and infinitive]: he was bailed to appear at Durham Crown Court...
- Prisoners being bailed to return to the station will also be dealt with separately from those being kept in custody.
- He was bailed to appear at Swadlincote Magistrates' Court on 12 th October.
- We see no necessity for a defendant who is bailed to be expressly warned that, if he absconds, he may be tried in his absence, for that has been the English common law for over a century.
Phrases
go bail (or stand bail)
jump bail
post bail
Derivatives
bailable
- Why is it so easy for a judge to issue a bailable warrant for arrest, before any investigation has been conducted into the charges against the accused?
- No bail must be granted for non bailable offences.
- The People's Forum has welcomed the announcement by the Vice-President that Cabinet has approved amendment of the law relating to theft of motor vehicles to make the offence bailable.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French, literally 'custody, jurisdiction', from bailler 'take charge of', from Latin bajulare 'bear a burden'.
The spelling bail represents several different words. The one meaning ‘temporary release of an accused person’ came via French from Latin bajulare, ‘to bear a burden’, and is related to bailiff (Middle English), someone who bears the burden of responsibility. The Latin word is also ultimately the source of bail (in Britain also spelled bale) meaning ‘to scoop water out of a boat’. The bailey (Middle English) or outer wall of a castle has a quite different origin, but it is connected with the third bail, a crosspiece on a cricket stump: originally this bail meant the same as bailey. The ultimate origin of both of these appears to be Latin baculum, ‘a rod or stick’ which developed the sense ‘palisade’ in French. Bailing out from an aircraft may be a development of the ‘to scoop water’ sense. It was at first spelled bale out, though, and could come from the idea of letting a bale of straw though a trapdoor in a barn. The first written record dates from 1930. This sort of bale (Middle English) has the basic idea of something bundled and is related to ball.
Rhymes
bail2
/beɪl/noun
1 (usually bails) Cricket Either of the two crosspieces bridging the stumps, which the bowler and fielders try to dislodge with the ball to get the batsman out: the Lancashire captain was at full stretch as the wicketkeeper took off the bails...
- The globe is presented in the form of a stylised cricket ball while the columns, styled as stumps and bails, represent the three essential pillars of the game - batting, bowling and fielding.
- But something was wrong with the picture - the bails remained firmly on the wicket, despite the leaning leg stump.
- Only then did the umpires march out, remove the bails and stumps, and declare that England had won the Ashes.
2A bar on a typewriter or computer printer which holds the paper steady.The bail arm on this printer raises whilst the machine is printing....
- Pull the bail arm toward the front of the printer.
- If not, it will catch on the bail arm as it advances.
3 Climbing A fastening that secures a crampon to the sole of a boot.
4A bar or pole separating horses in an open stable.
4.1Australian /NZ A movable framework for securing the head of a cow during milking.
verb [with object] Australian /NZ
1 (usually bail someone up) Confront (someone) with the intention of robbing them: they bailed up Mr Dyason and demanded his money...
- Tom bails up Rupert and the two of them fight hard over who is most loyal to Rob.
- It was a different story in the streets where, at least once, they were bailed up by police, summarily accused and punished, without any opportunity of putting their case.
- At least I think that's what he's doing when he surges off to bail up bewildered passers-by.
1.1Detain (someone) in conversation, especially against their will: students will bail up Canberrans on Friday for donations for the Royal Blind Society...
- Serena goes back to school where she is bailed up by Susan and questioned about her behaviour, especially in the teacher's class.
- Before he can finish the call he's bailed up by a teacher, and sent to the office.
- A man bailed me up in a car park years ago, after a talk I'd given about war, to tell me his story.
2Secure (a cow) during milking.It's no good crying over spilt milk; all we can do is bail up another cow....
- He spent his time cattle herding and bailing the cows for the milkers.
- Cows are bailed quietly and smoothly under close supervision.
Origin
Middle English (denoting the outer wall of a castle): from Old French baile 'palisade, enclosure', baillier 'enclose', perhaps from Latin baculum 'rod, stick'.
bail3
/beɪl/(British also bale)
verb
1 [with object] Scoop water out of (a ship or boat): the first priority is to bail out the boat with buckets...
- Until that happens, its like bailing a leaky boat to stay ahead of rising cost.
- When they arrived, the sailors helped to bale out the 26 foot vessel and they were able to identify the cause of the problem as a leaking cooling pipe which was letting in the sea.
- Working deep in the hold we find the faithful ones who keep bailing the bilges without regard for the Mate's view on whether they should be doing it or not.
1.1Scoop (water) out of a ship or boat: I started to use my hands to bail out the water...
- It is like Team New Zealand bailing water out of the boat - it did not matter.
- Several members of the assisting-boat crew boarded the sinking fisher and helped bail the rising water.
- That left the rest of the group to use their hands and a small rubber container to bail water out of the boat as they struggled to stay afloat.
2 [no object] (bail on) North American informal Let (someone) down: he looks a little like the other guy that bailed on me...
- Anyways… I'm still sorry about bailing on you guys at lunch… except well, Simon was there.
- Guys who bail on a workout program conveniently allow themselves to forget why they started one in the first place.
- Many noted that while the company had closed fewer than 40 stores in its 40-year history, it was closing a store in a similar part of Detroit on the same day it was bailing on the Hawthorne neighborhood.
Phrasal verbs
bail out
bail someone/thing out
Derivatives
bailer
/ noun ...- He has been driving through the flooded River Derwent with passengers sitting on straw bailers in the trailer.
- The freshly mown hay lies in the hot sun waiting for the bailer to make bales and be done.
- My Dad would follow behind with the square hay bailer and he would bail the hay.
Origin
Early 17th century: from obsolete bail 'bucket', from French baille, based on Latin bajulus 'carrier'.