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bail¹

(bāl)

1. 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. Release from imprisonment provided by the payment of such money.

3. A person who provides this security.

tr.v. bailed, bail·ing, bails

1. To secure the release of by providing security.

2. To release (a person) for whom security has been paid.

3. Informal To extricate from a difficult situation: always bailing you out of trouble.

Idioms:

jump/skip bail

To fail to appear in court and so forfeit one's bail.

make bail

To secure enough money or property to pay the amount of one's bail.

[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.]

bailer n.

bail²

(bāl)

v. bailed, bail·ing, bails

v.tr.

1. To remove (water) from a boat by repeatedly filling a container and emptying it over the side.

2. To empty (a boat) of water by bailing.

v.intr.

1. To empty a boat of water by bailing.

2. To parachute from an aircraft; eject. Often used with out: bailed out of the damaged airplane at the last possible moment.

3. To abandon a project or enterprise. Often used with out: The investors bailed out when it looked as though the company was going to be unprofitable.

A container used for emptying water from a boat.

[From Middle English baille, bucket, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *bāiula, water container, from Latin bāiulāre, to carry a load.]

bailer n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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