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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.
a group of turtles.
to make or form into bales:
to bale wastepaper for disposal.
evil; harm; misfortune.
woe; misery; sorrow.
bail2 .
bail3 (defs 1–3).
French name of Basel.
the semicircular handle of a kettle or pail.
a hooplike support, as for the canvas cover on a Conestoga wagon.
a metal band or bar equipped with rollers for holding a sheet or sheets of paper against the platen of a printing press, typewriter, etc.
to dip (water) out of a boat, as with a bucket.
to clear of water by dipping (usually followed by out):
to bail out a boat.
to bail water.
Also, bailer. a bucket, dipper, or other container used for bailing.
bail out,

to make a parachute jump from an airplane.
to relieve or assist (a person, company, etc.) in an emergency situation, especially a financial crisis:
The corporation bailed out its failing subsidiary through a series of refinancing operations.
to give up on or abandon something, as to evade a responsibility:
His partner bailed out before the business failed.

Contemporary Examples

Even after bale withdrew and his vehicle was driving away from the scene, it was pursued for more than half an hour by a gray van.
Christian Bale Filmed Being Attacked by Chinese Guards Melinda Liu December 15, 2011

With his anachronistic attitude toward the biblical story, bale is just following the lead of his director.
Christian Bale: One Man’s Moses Is Another Man’s Terrorist Candida Moss, Joel Baden December 6, 2014

According to bale, Moses was “one of the most barbaric individuals that I ever read about in my life.”
Christian Bale: One Man’s Moses Is Another Man’s Terrorist Candida Moss, Joel Baden December 6, 2014

bale had no experience in musical theater when he was cast as Jack Kelly.
The Cult of ‘Newsies’ Ramin Setoodeh October 17, 2011

The hero Jack “Cowboy” Kelly (played by bale in the film) is a rascal and orphan, and a dreamer.
The Cult of ‘Newsies’ Ramin Setoodeh October 17, 2011

Historical Examples

Jaune and Brown, hidden by a bale of hay, were within five feet of him.
Short Story Classics (American) Vol. 2 Various

I have entrusted my bale to Leonhard Tucher and given over my white cloth to him.
Albert Durer T. Sturge Moore

In bale’s view wealth is a necessary accompaniment of distinction.
War-time Silhouettes Stephen Hudson

Folk of the land it had lapped in flame, with bale and brand.
Beowulf Anonymous

Before him was a gentleman who sat on a bale of hay, and he seemed to have a bandage on his foot.
Jack Harkaway in New York Bracebridge Hemyng

noun
a large bundle, esp of a raw or partially processed material, bound by ropes, wires, etc, for storage or transportation: bale of hay
a large package or carton of goods
(US) 500 pounds of cotton
a group of turtles
(Austral & NZ) See wool bale
verb
to make (hay, etc) into a bale or bales
to put (goods) into packages or cartons
(Austral & NZ) to pack and compress (wool) into wool bales
noun (archaic)
evil; injury
woe; suffering; pain
verb
a variant spelling of bail2
noun
a variant spelling of bail4
noun
a sum of money by which a person is bound to take responsibility for the appearance in court of another person or himself or herself, forfeited if the person fails to appear
the person or persons so binding themselves; surety
the system permitting release of a person from custody where such security has been taken: he was released on bail
jump bail, (formal) forfeit bail, to fail to appear in court to answer to a charge
stand bail, go bail, to act as surety (for someone)
verb (transitive)
(often foll by out) to release or obtain the release of (a person) from custody, security having been made
verb
(often foll by out) to remove (water) from (a boat)
noun
(cricket) either of two small wooden bars placed across the tops of the stumps to form the wicket
(agriculture)

a partition between stalls in a stable or barn, for horses
a portable dairy house built on wheels or skids

(Austral & NZ) a framework in a cowshed used to secure the head of a cow during milking
verb
See bail up
noun
the semicircular handle of a kettle, bucket, etc
a semicircular support for a canopy
a movable bar on a typewriter that holds the paper against the platen
noun
the French name for Basle
n.

“large bundle or package,” early 14c., from Old French bale “rolled-up bundle,” from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German balla “ball”), from Proto-Germanic *ball-, from PIE *bhel- (2) “to blow, swell” (see bole).
n.

“bond money,” late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of “temporary release from jail” (into the custody of another, who gives security), recorded from early 15c. That evolved from earlier meaning “captivity, custody” (early 14c.). From Old French baillier “to control, to guard, deliver” (12c.), from Latin bajulare “to bear a burden,” from bajulus “porter,” of unknown origin. In late 18c. criminal slang, to give leg bail meant “to run away.”

“horizontal piece of wood in a cricket wicket,” c.1742, originally “any cross bar” (1570s), probably identical with Middle French bail “horizontal piece of wood affixed on two stakes,” and with English bail “palisade wall, outer wall of a castle” (see bailey).
v.

“to dip water out of,” 1610s, from baile (n.) “small wooden bucket” (mid-14c.), from nautical Old French baille “bucket, pail,” from Medieval Latin *bajula (aquae), literally “porter of water,” from Latin bajulare “to bear a burden” (see bail (n.1)). To bail out “leave suddenly” (intransitive) is recorded from 1930, originally of airplane pilots. Related: Bailed; bailing.

“to procure someone’s release from prison” (by posting bail), 1580s, from bail (n.1); usually with out. Related: Bailed; bailing.

verb

To leave; cut out, split: Bruce has bailed from the scene entirely/ Most of my friends had bailed to stay with other relatives

Related Terms

jump bail

[1970s+ college students; fr bail out]
In addition to the idiom beginning with
bail