# bale

/ˈbeɪɫ/ (US) · /bˈeɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bale
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a bundle of hay or cotton

noun · CEFR B2

a large, heavy block of material like hay, straw, or cotton that is pressed together and tied with wire or string.

For teachers: a large package of raw material, such as hay, cotton, or wool, compressed and bound by wire or twine for transport.

- The farmer stacked the heavy bales of hay in the barn before the rain started.
- The shipping container was packed tightly with bales of raw cotton, each marked with its weight and origin for the textile factory.

### 2. to clear water from a boat

verb · CEFR C1 · British English

to use a bucket or container to throw water out of a boat.

For teachers: to remove water from a vessel using a bucket or similar container. Often spelled 'bail' in American English.

- After the storm, we had to bale out the small boat to keep it from sinking.
- The crew worked tirelessly to bale out the leaking dinghy, using every available bucket to keep pace with the rising water.

Usage: Usually followed by the particle 'out'.

### 3. to make into bundles

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to press material together and tie it into a large block.

For teachers: to compress and bind material into a bale for storage or shipping.

- The machine can bale hundreds of pounds of recycled paper in just a few minutes.
- Modern agricultural machinery is designed to bale straw automatically as it moves across the harvested field.

### 4. evil or suffering

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a very old word for great sadness, pain, or evil.

For teachers: great evil, suffering, or woe. This sense is restricted to historical or highly poetic contexts.

- The old stories tell of a hero who brought an end to the kingdom's bale.
- The poet spoke of a time of bale and darkness, when the land was plagued by famine and war.

## Examples

- The farmer stacked each bale of hay in the barn.
- After the harvest, the field was dotted with heavy bales of straw waiting to be collected.
- The shipping manifest listed forty bales of raw cotton, each bound in heavy burlap and secured with iron bands to withstand the long sea voyage.

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