Bale
Bale (bāl) , noun
[Old English bale, Old French bale, French balle, Late Latin bala, from Old High German balla, palla, pallo, German ball, balle, ballen, ball, round pack; compare Dutch baal. Compare Ball a round body.]
A bundle or package of goods in a cloth cover, and corded for storage or transportation; also, a bundle of straw, hay, etc., put up compactly for transportation.
Collocations (1)
Bale of dice , a pair of dice. [Obsolete] — B. Jonson
Bale (bāld) , transitive verb
To make up in a bale. — Goldsmith
Bale , transitive verb
See Bail, transitive verb, to lade.
Bale (bāl) , noun
[Anglo-Saxon bealo, bealu, balu; akin to Old Saxon balu, Old High German balo, Icelandic bol, Gothic balweins.]
1.
Misery; calamity; misfortune; sorrow.
Let now your bliss be turned into bale.
2.
Evil; an evil, pernicious influence; something causing great injury. [Now chiefly poetic]