What is "bail"

Bail \Bail\, v. t. [OF. bailler to give, to deliver, fr. L. bajulare to bear a burden, keep in custody, fr. bajulus he who bears burdens.]

1. To deliver; to release. [Obs.]

   Ne none there was to rescue her, ne none to bail.
   --Spenser.

2. (Law)

   1. To set free, or deliver from arrest, or out of custody, on the undertaking of some other person or persons that he or they will be responsible for the appearance, at a certain day and place, of the person bailed.

      Note: The word is applied to the magistrate or the surety. The magistrate bails (but admits to bail is commoner) a man when he liberates him from arrest or imprisonment upon bond given with sureties. The surety bails a person when he procures his release from arrest by giving bond for his appearance.
      --Blackstone.

   2. To deliver, as goods in trust, for some special object or purpose, upon a contract, expressed or implied, that the trust shall be faithfully executed on the part of the bailee, or person intrusted; as, to bail cloth to a tailor to be made into a garment; to bail goods to a carrier.
      --Blackstone. Kent.

Bail \Bail\ (b[=a]l), n. [F. baille a bucket, pail; cf. LL. bacula, dim. of bacca a sort of vessel. Cf. Bac.] A bucket or scoop used in bailing water out of a boat. [Obs.]

The bail of a canoe . . . made of a human skull.
--Capt. Cook.

Bail \Bail\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bailed (b[=a]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Bailing.]

1. To lade; to dip and throw; -- usually with out; as, to bail water out of a boat.

   Buckets . . . to bail out the water.
   --Capt. J. Smith.

2. To dip or lade water from; -- often with out to express completeness; as, to bail a boat.

   By the help of a small bucket and our hats we bailed her out.
   --R. H. Dana, Jr.

Bail \Bail\, n. [OF. bail guardian, administrator, fr. L. bajulus. See Bail to deliver.]

1. Custody; keeping. [Obs.]

   Silly Faunus now within their bail.
   --Spenser.

2. (Law)

   1. The person or persons who procure the release of a prisoner from the custody of the officer, or from imprisonment, by becoming surety for his appearance in court.

      The bail must be real, substantial bondsmen.
      --Blackstone.

      A. and B. were bail to the arrest in a suit at law.
      --Kent.

   2. The security given for the appearance of a prisoner in order to obtain his release from custody of the officer; as, the man is out on bail; to go bail for any one.

      Excessive bail ought not to be required.
      --Blackstone.

Bail \Bail\, n. [OE. beyl; cf. Dan. b["o]ile a bending, ring, hoop, Sw. b["o]gel, bygel, and Icel. beyla hump, swelling, akin to E. bow to bend.]

1. The arched handle of a kettle, pail, or similar vessel, usually movable.
   --Forby.

2. A half hoop for supporting the cover of a carrier's wagon, awning of a boat, etc.

Bail \Bail\, n. [OF. bail, baille. See Bailey.]

1. (Usually pl.) A line of palisades serving as an exterior defense. [Written also bayle.] [Obs.]

2. The outer wall of a feudal castle. Hence: The space inclosed by it; the outer court.
   --Holinshed.

3. A certain limit within a forest. [Eng.]

4. A division for the stalls of an open stable.

5. (Cricket) The top or cross piece (or either of the two cross pieces) of the wicket.

"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," which is of unknown origin. In late 18c. criminal slang, to give leg bail meant "to run away."

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

"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.

"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).

Etymology 1 n. 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 (context legal UK English) release from imprisonment on payment of such money. 3 (context legal UK English) The person providing such payment. 4 A bucket or scoop used for removing water from a boat etc. 5 (context obsolete English) Custody; keeping. vb. 1 To secure the release of an arrested person by providing bail. 2 (context legal English) To release a person under such guarantee. 3 (context legal English) To hand over personal property to be held temporarily by another as a bailment. 4 (context nautical transitive English) To remove (water) from a boat by scooping it out. 5 (context nautical transitive English) To remove water from (a boat) by scooping it out. 6 To set free; to deliver; to release. Etymology 2

vb. 1 (context slang English) To exit quickly. 2 (context informal English) To fail to meet a commitment. Etymology 3

n. 1 A hoop, ring or handle ''(especially of a kettle or bucket)''. 2 A stall for a cow (or other animal) ''(usually tethered with a semi-circular hoop)''. 3 A hinged bar as a restraint for animals, or on a typewriter. 4 (context chiefly Australia and New Zealand English) A frame to restrain a cow during milking or feeding. 5 A hoop, ring, or other object used to connect a pendant to a necklace. 6 (context cricket English) One of the two wooden crosspieces that rest on top of the stumps to form a wicket. 7 (context furniture English) Normally curved handle suspended between sockets as a drawer pull. This may also be on a kettle or pail, as the wire bail handle shown in the drawing. vb. To secure the head of a cow during milking. Etymology 4

vb. 1 (context rare English) To confine. 2 (context Australia New Zealand English) To secure (a cow) by placing its head in a bail for milking. 3 (context Australia New Zealand English) To keep (a traveller) detained in order to rob them; to corner (a wild animal); loosely, to detain, hold up. (Usually with (term: up).)

1. n. (criminal law) money that must be forfeited by the bondsman if an accused person fails to appear in court for trial; "the judge set bail at $10,000"; "a $10,000 bond was furnished by an alderman" [syn: bail bond, bond]

2. the legal system that allows an accused person to be temporarily released from custody (usually on condition that a sum of money guarantees their appearance at trial); "he is out on bail"

1. v. release after a security has been paid

2. deliver something in trust to somebody for a special purpose and for a limited period

3. secure the release of (someone) by providing security

4. empty (a vessel) by bailing

5. remove (water) from a vessel with a container

Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail (and possibly be brought up on charges of the crime of failure to appear). In some cases, bail money may be returned at the end of the trial, if all court appearances are made, regardless of whether the person is found guilty or not guilty of the crime accused. If a bondsman is used and a surety bond has been obtained, the fee for that bond is the fee for the insurance policy purchased and is not refundable.

In some countries, granting bail is common. Even in such countries, however, bail may not be offered by some courts under some circumstances; for instance, if the accused is considered likely not to appear for trial regardless of bail. Legislatures may also set out certain crimes to be not bailable, such as those that carry the penalty of capital punishment. Even for lesser crimes, bail will not be granted if it is deemed likely that the accused will flee, tamper with evidence, or commit the same offense before trial.

In the sport of cricket, a bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. The bails are used to determine when the wicket is broken, which in turn is one of the critical factors in determining whether a batsman is out bowled, stumped, run out or hit wicket.

The wicket is considered to be broken if either one or both of the bails fall from the stumps, or a stump is struck out of the ground, by:

• the ball,
• the striking batsman's bat, or any part of the striker's body or clothing (even if it falls off), or
• a fielder with the hand or arm holding the ball.

This means, for example, that if the ball hits the wicket directly from the bowler's delivery, the batsman is only out bowled if a bail falls off, so a ball can actually brush or rest against the stumps without the batsman being dismissed (as long as the bail remains in its groove).

If a bail falls off the stumps for any other reason while the ball is still in play, and a later incident such as a run out attempt requires the wicket to be broken, then the other bail can be removed (if it has not yet fallen off), or a stump can be struck out of the cricket ground or pulled up, as described above.

Each bail is made of a single cylindrically shaped piece of wood which has two smaller cylinders of wood protruding from each end. The large central cylinder is called the barrel and the smaller protrusions are the spigots. The spigots are of unequal length: the longer rests alone on one stump, while the shorter rests on the middle stump together with the short spigot of the other bail.

Special heavy bails made of denser wood (usually lignum vitae) are sometimes used in windy conditions if the normal light bails are likely to be blown off the stumps. The umpires can decide to dispense with the bails completely (for example, where strong gusts of wind would remove even the heavy bails), in which case the umpires will adjudge whether or not the wicket is broken.

A bail (also spelled "bale") is a component of certain types of jewelry, mostly necklaces, that is used to attach a pendant or stone. The bail is normally placed in the center of the necklace where the pendant hangs.

Some bails are made so a pendant can be attached after the necklace production is completed. This way, a necklace design can be mass-produced for multiple companies and the pendants can be attached after the necklaces are shipped to them.

A classic bail allows the chain to pass through and is connected by a ring to the pendant. Bails are a frequently pre-made component used on an otherwise handmade piece of jewelry.

Bail can mean:

• bail, security (usually a sum of money), exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial by a lawcourt, and related meanings
• bail (cricket), one of the two wooden crosspieces that rest on top of the stumps to form a wicket in cricket
• Bail (jewelry), a ring in jewellery, used usually for connecting a pendant or amulet to a necklace at the correct angle
• Animal stall, e.g., milking bail or feeding bail
• Bail handle or bail, a hooped handle of a bucket or kettle
• Bail Organa, a Star Wars character
• Paul Bail, English cricketer
• Bailing (Boardsports), the act of falling off a skateboard, longboard, etc.

Bail in Canada refers to the release (or detention) of a person charged with a criminal offence prior to being tried in court or sentenced. A person may be released by a peace officer or by the courts. A release on bail by the courts is officially known as a judicial interim release. There are also a number of ways to compel a person's appearance in court without the need for an arrest and release. The Canadian constitution guarantees the right not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause. Unlike some other jurisdictions, there are no bondsmen or bail insurance policies in Canada.