bale

¹

[beyl]

noun

1. 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.

2. a group of turtles.

verb (used with object)

baled, baling 

1. to make or form into bales.

   to bale wastepaper for disposal.

bale

²

[beyl]

noun

Archaic.

1. evil; harm; misfortune.

2. woe; misery; sorrow.

bale

³

[beyl]

noun

1. bail.

bale

⁴

[beyl]

verb (used with or without object)

baled, baling 

1. a spelling variant of bail.

Bâle

⁵

[bahl]

noun

1. French name of Basel.

bale

¹

/ beɪl /

noun

1. a large bundle, esp of a raw or partially processed material, bound by ropes, wires, etc, for storage or transportation

   bale of hay

2. a large package or carton of goods

3. 500 pounds of cotton

4. a group of turtles

5. See wool bale

verb

1. to make (hay, etc) into a bale or bales

2. to put (goods) into packages or cartons

3. to pack and compress (wool) into wool bales

bale

²

/ beɪl /

noun

1. evil; injury

2. woe; suffering; pain

Bâle

³

/ bɑl /

noun

1. the French name for Basle

bale

⁴

/ beɪl /

verb

1. a variant spelling of bail 2

bale

⁵

/ beɪl /

noun

1. a variant spelling of bail 4

Other Word Forms

• baleless adjective
• baler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bale¹

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; ball ¹

Origin of bale²

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of bale¹

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

Origin of bale²

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

Example Sentences

"We got some really good ones of raking up and baling," Miss Burke said.

From BBC

He also questioned Re-Gen's practice of spraying the bales with odour treatment.

From BBC

She changed course and will now be going with a construction method known as straw bale, which typically entails stacking bales of straw to form walls that are coated with plaster.

From Los Angeles Times

The work there has included arranging bales of straw on the sand, which has enabled native shrubs to take root and begin to keep down the blowing dust.

From Los Angeles Times

In the yard there are tractors and hay bales, dogs running around.

From BBC

Related Words

• bundle