Word Confusion: Bail versus Bale

Plural for the noun: bail
Gerund: bailing

Third person present verb: bails
Past tense or past participle: bailed
Present participle: bailing

Plural for the noun: bales
Gerund: baling

Third person present verb: bales
Past tense or past participle: baled
Present participle: baling

British alternate spelling for bail

• Money paid for the release of an accused person as security

A bar that holds something in place, in particular ²:

• [Fishing] A bar that guides fishing line on a reel
• A bar on a typewriter or computer printer that holds the paper steady
• [Mountaineering] A bar on a crampon that fits into a groove in the sole of a boot
• A bar separating horses in an open stable

An arched handle, such as on a bucket or a teapot

[Usually bails; Cricket] Either of the two crosspieces bridging the stumps, which the bowler and fielders try to dislodge with the ball to get the batsman out

Verb, intransitive:
Abandon a commitment, obligation, or responsibility ³

• [North American; informal; bail on] Let someone down by failing to fulfill a commitment, obligation, or responsibility

Verb, transitive:
Usually be bailed

Scoop water out of a ship or boat ³

• The quantity in a bale as a measure, especially 500 pounds of cotton

[Archaic or literary] Evil considered as a destructive force ²

• Evil suffered
• Physical torment or mental suffering

A group of turtles

Verb, transitive:
Make something into bales ¹

He has been released on bail.

The jerk jumped bail and his mother will lose her house.

The chest has drawers fitted with brass bail handles.

Verb, intransitive:
After 12 years of this, including Sunday Mass with the family, I bailed.

He looks a little like the guy who bailed on me.

Verb, transitive:
I am so ready to bail out of this mess.

His son called home to get bailed out of jail.

The first priority is to bail out the boat with buckets.

I started to use my hands to bail out the water.

He bailed out of the stalled plane.

Lift that barge, tote that bale.

The fire destroyed 500 bales of hay.

Most baling and field work have been finished.

We’ll have to get the baling done before the storms strike.

She brought tidings of bale.

“Relieve my spirit from the bale that bows it down” – Benjamin Disraeli.

Verb, transitive:
Bale the newspaper for recycling, would you?

They baled a lot of good hay.

1. Middle English from the Old French, literally meaning custody or jurisdiction from the Old French bailler meaning take charge of, from the Latin bajulare meaning bear a burden.
2. Ca. 1742, Middle English denoting the outer wall of a castle from the Old French baile meaning palisade or enclosure, from baillier meaning enclose; perhaps from the Latin baculum meaning rod or stick.
3. Early 17th century from the obsolete bail meaning bucket from the French baille, which is based on the Latin bajulus meaning carrier.

1. Middle English and probably from the Middle Dutch and then from the Old French, but ultimately of Germanic origin.
2. Old English balu or bealu is of Germanic origin.