bailey Definition
bai·ley (bā′lē)
noun pl. -·leys
the outer wall or court of a medieval castle
Etymology: ME baili, var. of baile, bail
Bailey Definition
Bai·ley (bā′lē)
Bailey, Nathan(iel) died 1742; Eng. lexicographer
bailey Usage Examples
Preposition: of
castle: The large area of grass is within the outer bailey of the castle.
Converse of object
- surround: The keep towers over the walls surrounding the inner bailey with King's Gate in the center of the picture.
- form: Located within the curtain wall, a series of 12th century buildings forming the inner bailey now exist only at foundation level.
- have: Unusually the castle has two baileys both of which originally had stone walls.
- give: After this the military importance of the castle declined and in 1345 the King gave the two baileys to the city of Norwich.
- construct: However, when Sir Walter had the outer bailey constructed, a barbican was added to the exterior of the inner gate.
Adjective modifier
- outer: The large area of grass is within the outer bailey of the castle.
- inner: Today the inner bailey is entered via a bridge over the moat toward the south of the castle.
- low: The lower bailey would have been bordered by a timber palisade with a ditch outside.
- large: The large outer bailey has lodgings, a prison and stables backing onto the curtain.
- old: You can still see where the old bailey used to be.
- walled: It consisted of a massive gatehouse and a walled bailey, approached by a wooden drawbridge.
Modifies a noun
- castle: Motte and bailey castles were built out of weaker wood and builders were limited to the size and height they could go to.
- bridge: The end of the River Derwent for us, the bailey bridge above Broken Bridge.
- ball: On the bailey ball bar is open at 7pm till 1am.
- wall: The bailey wall that exists today was built in 1088 for William II by Gundulf, the bishop of Rochester.
- room: SD: Turn bailey room into chill zone with decorations.
- type: The first building was of the motte and bailey type of structure.
Noun used with modifier
Browse dictionary entries near bailey
- ‹ bailer
- ‹ bailee
- ‹ Baile Átha Cliath
- ‹ bailable
- ‹ bail out
- ‹ bail jumping
- ‹ bail bondsman
- ‹ bail bond
- ‹ bail
- ‹ Baikal

