bastille

Also bas·tile

[ba-steel, bas-tee-y^uh]

noun

plural

bastilles 

1. (initial capital letter),  a fortress in Paris, used as a prison, built in the 14th century and destroyed July 14, 1789.

2. any prison or jail, especially one conducted in a tyrannical way.

3. a fortified tower, as of a castle; a small fortress; citadel.

Bastille

/ bastij, bæˈstiːl /

noun

1. a fortress in Paris, built in the 14th century: a prison until its destruction in 1789, at the beginning of the French Revolution

Bastille

1. A prison in Paris where many political and other offenders were held and tortured until the time of the French Revolution. It was attacked by workers on July 14, 1789, during the revolution; the prisoners were released, and the building was later demolished.

The anniversary of the attack, Bastille Day, is the most important national holiday in France.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bastille¹

1350–1400; Middle English bastile < Middle French, probably alteration of bastide bastide, with -ile (< Medieval Latin, Latin -īle noun suffix of place) replacing -ide; replacing Middle English bastel < Old French basstel, with -el similarly replacing -ide

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bastille¹

C14: from Old French bastile fortress, from Old Provençal bastida , from bastir to build, of Germanic origin; see _baste ¹

Example Sentences

He has fond memories of attending France's Bastille Day celebrations during his first presidential term.

From BBC

Britain's Simon Yates won stage 10 of the Tour de France on Bastille Day as Ben Healy became the first Irish rider to claim the yellow jersey for 38 years.

From BBC

"To be free in this world, you must be feared. To be feared, you must be powerful," he said in the speech, which fell on the eve of Bastille Day.

From BBC

The 72-year-old was named knight of the Legion of Honour on a list announced ahead of France's Bastille Day.

From BBC

The lore has it that Trump saw the Bastille Day celebration in France in 2017 and has been agitating for one ever since.

From Salon

Related Words

• apprehend 
• commit 
• detain 
• hold 
• incarcerate 
• jail 
• lock up 
• remand