bail¹ (bāl)

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[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.]

noun 

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.

transitive verb: 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.
4. To transfer (property) to another for a special purpose but without permanent transference of ownership.

idioms

jump bail

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

derivatives

baiĺer

noun

bail² (bāl)

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

verb: bailed, bail·ing, bails. 

transitive verb 

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.

intransitive verb 

To empty a boat of water by bailing.

noun 

A container used for emptying water from a boat.

phrasal verbs

bail out

To parachute from an aircraft; eject.

To abandon a project or enterprise.

derivatives

baiĺer

noun

bail³ (bāl)

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[Middle English beil, perhaps from Old English* bēgel, or of Scandinavian origin.]

noun 

1. The arched hooplike handle of a container, such as a pail.
2. An arch or hoop, such as one of those used to support the top of a covered wagon.
3. A hinged bar on a typewriter that holds the paper against the platen.
4. The pivoting U-shaped part of a fishing reel that guides the line onto the spool during rewinding.

bail⁴ (bāl)

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[Old French dialectal, probably from Latin baculum, stick; see bacillus.]

noun 

1. Chiefly British A pole or bar used to confine or separate animals.
2. Sports One of the two crossbars that form the top of a wicket used in the game of cricket.