bail
Money or something valuable that you give to a court so a person can leave jail until their trial, if they promise to come back to court.
Money or other security given to a court to allow an arrested person to be released from jail until their trial, with the promise that they will appear in court.
To let an arrested person leave jail because money (bail) was paid for them.
To release an arrested person from jail because bail has been paid or guaranteed.
To go away from a place, person, or plan suddenly, often when other people still expect you to stay.
To leave a place, person, or planned activity suddenly, especially when this causes inconvenience to others.
To take water out of a boat or another place by using a container or pump.
To remove water from a boat, aircraft, or flooded space by repeatedly scooping or pumping it out.
The metal or plastic handle on a bucket or similar container that you hold to carry it.
A curved bar or wire attached to a bucket, pail, or similar container that is used as a handle for carrying or hanging it.
In cricket, a small piece of wood that lies across the top of the three sticks (stumps) and falls when the ball hits them.
In cricket, one of the two small wooden bars that rest in grooves on top of the three stumps at each end of the pitch and are knocked off when the wicket is broken.
- Base: bail
- Plural: bail, bails
- Base: bail
- 3rd Person Singular: bails
- Present Participle: bailing
- Past: bailed
bail bond
1legal agreement for bail payment
A legal paper that says money will be paid if a person who is out on bail does not go to court.
- They contacted a bail bond company for help.
- He signed a bail bond guaranteeing her appearance.
- The bail bond was forfeited when he disappeared.
bail hearing
1court session to decide bail
A meeting in a court where a judge decides if a person can have bail and how much it will be.
- The bail hearing is scheduled for Monday morning.
- Her lawyer requested an earlier bail hearing.
- At the bail hearing, the judge denied his request.
bail money
1money for paying bail
Money that is collected or saved to pay bail so someone can leave jail.
- They started a fundraiser to collect bail money.
- He kept a small amount of bail money hidden, just in case.
- Her family could not come up with the bail money.
bail on someone
1to abandon a person or plan
To not do something you promised to do with someone, usually by not coming or by leaving them alone.
- Don’t bail on me again tonight.
- He bailed on his best friend when things got difficult.
- She always bails on people when she finds something better to do.
bail on something
1to cancel or drop an activity
To decide not to go to or not to continue with an event, plan, or activity that you had agreed to do.
- They bailed on the road trip at the last minute.
- I don’t want to bail on the meeting again.
- She bailed on the class after only two weeks.
bail out
1to rescue from serious trouble
To help a person, company, or country that is in big financial or other trouble, usually by giving money or special support.
- The government agreed to bail out the struggling bank.
- Her parents had to bail her out when she couldn’t pay her rent.
- An international fund was created to bail out debt-ridden countries.
bail out of an aircraft
1to escape an aircraft by parachute
To jump out of a plane or helicopter with a parachute, usually because something is wrong and you must escape.
- The pilot managed to bail out of the burning jet.
- They had only seconds to bail out of the damaged aircraft.
- He bailed out over the sea when the engine failed.
bail out of something
1to quit a plan or commitment
To leave or stop a plan, project, or activity that you said you would do, often suddenly.
- Several investors bailed out of the project when costs increased.
- She bailed out of the deal at the last second.
- He bailed out of the training course halfway through.
bail someone out
1to pay someone’s bail
To pay money to the court so that a specific person can leave jail until their trial.
- His friends bailed him out after the arrest.
- She called her sister to bail her out of jail.
- They had no one who could bail them out.
jump bail
1to not appear after bail
To not go to your court date after you leave jail on bail.
- He skipped town and jumped bail.
- Anyone who jumps bail faces additional charges.
- The court issued a warrant after she jumped bail.
make bail
1to succeed in paying bail
To get or pay enough money for bail so that you can leave jail.
- He finally made bail late that night.
- If she can’t make bail, she’ll remain behind bars.
- They hope he’ll make bail before the weekend.
out on bail
1temporarily free because of bail
Not in jail because bail has been paid, but still waiting for trial.
- He is currently out on bail awaiting trial.
- The suspect was out on bail when the new crime happened.
- She remained out on bail for several months.
post bail
1to pay required bail
To pay or give the money or other security that the court asks for so that someone can leave jail.
- Her family managed to post bail within a few hours.
- If you can’t post bail, you’ll have to stay in jail.
- The lawyer is working to help him post bail today.
set bail
1to decide amount of bail
For a judge or court to say how much money someone must pay as bail.
- The judge set bail at $50,000.
- They argued that the court had set bail too high.
- No bail was set in this case.