bale Hear it!

bale1 definition

bale (bāl)

noun

a large bundle, esp. a standardized quantity of goods, as ginned cotton, hay, straw, etc., compressed, bound, and sometimes wrapped

Etymology: ME < OFr < OHG balla, ball

transitive verb baled, baling bal′·ing

to make into a bale or bales

Related Forms:

bale2 definition

bale (bāl)

noun

  1. evil; disaster; harm
  2. sorrow; woe

Etymology: ME < OE bealu, akin to OHG bal, evil, ON bǫl, harm < IE base *bheleu-, to beat > blow

bale3 definition

bale (bāl)

noun

Archaic balefire

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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