"bailey" meaning in English

See bailey in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈbeɪli/ Audio: en-us-bailey.ogg Forms: baileys [plural]
Rhymes: -eɪli Etymology: From Old French baile (“palisade, enclosure”), from Latin bacula, plural of baculum (“stick, rod”). Etymology templates: {{der|en|fro|baile||palisade, enclosure}} Old French baile (“palisade, enclosure”), {{der|en|la|bacula}} Latin bacula Head templates: {{en-noun}} bailey (plural baileys)
  1. The outer wall of a feudal castle.
    Sense id: en-bailey-en-noun-pMvLtcXW Categories (other): Walls and fences Disambiguation of Walls and fences: 30 33 15 22
  2. The space immediately within the outer wall of a castle or fortress.
    Sense id: en-bailey-en-noun-~PrznFn~ Categories (other): Walls and fences Disambiguation of Walls and fences: 30 33 15 22
  3. (in certain proper names) A prison or court of justice.
    Sense id: en-bailey-en-noun-R~9KSjAx Categories (other): English terms with collocations, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Irish translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Sicilian translations, Walls and fences Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 4 80 14 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 4 10 74 12 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 2 4 90 4 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 4 90 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 6 14 62 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Irish translations: 6 14 63 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 5 11 69 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Sicilian translations: 6 14 62 17 Disambiguation of Walls and fences: 30 33 15 22
  4. An argument which is controversial and more difficult to defend (in the context of a motte and bailey fallacy).
    Sense id: en-bailey-en-noun-Aw13~Y0V Categories (other): Walls and fences Disambiguation of Walls and fences: 30 33 15 22
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: motte and bailey Translations (outer wall of a castle): ulkomuuri (Finnish), bábhún [masculine] (Irish), ballium (english: medieval) [neuter] (Latin), bagghiu [masculine] (Sicilian) Translations (space contained by the outer wall of a castle): linnanpiha (Finnish), bagghiu [masculine] (Sicilian)
Disambiguation of 'outer wall of a castle': 49 47 0 4 Disambiguation of 'space contained by the outer wall of a castle': 44 51 0 4

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "motte and bailey"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "baile",
        "4": "",
        "5": "palisade, enclosure"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French baile (“palisade, enclosure”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "bacula"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin bacula",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old French baile (“palisade, enclosure”), from Latin bacula, plural of baculum (“stick, rod”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "baileys",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "bailey (plural baileys)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "30 33 15 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Walls and fences",
          "orig": "en:Walls and fences",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The outer wall of a feudal castle."
      ],
      "id": "en-bailey-en-noun-pMvLtcXW",
      "links": [
        [
          "feudal",
          "feudal"
        ],
        [
          "castle",
          "castle"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "30 33 15 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Walls and fences",
          "orig": "en:Walls and fences",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The space immediately within the outer wall of a castle or fortress."
      ],
      "id": "en-bailey-en-noun-~PrznFn~",
      "links": [
        [
          "fortress",
          "fortress"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with collocations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 4 80 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 10 74 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 4 90 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 4 90 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 14 62 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 14 63 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Irish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 11 69 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Latin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 14 62 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Sicilian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 33 15 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Walls and fences",
          "orig": "en:Walls and fences",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              8,
              14
            ],
            [
              34,
              40
            ]
          ],
          "tags": [
            "collocation"
          ],
          "text": "the Old Bailey in London; the New Bailey in Manchester",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A prison or court of justice."
      ],
      "id": "en-bailey-en-noun-R~9KSjAx",
      "links": [
        [
          "prison",
          "prison"
        ],
        [
          "justice",
          "justice"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(in certain proper names) A prison or court of justice."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "in certain proper names"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "30 33 15 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Walls and fences",
          "orig": "en:Walls and fences",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              29,
              35
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2023 February 10, “Why Birds Are Not Dinosaurs (And Why It Matters)”, in Answers in Genesis, archived from the original on 15 Mar 2023:",
          "text": "\"Birds are dinosaurs\" is the bailey; \"birds are more similar to dinosaurs than anything else\" is the motte.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An argument which is controversial and more difficult to defend (in the context of a motte and bailey fallacy)."
      ],
      "id": "en-bailey-en-noun-Aw13~Y0V",
      "links": [
        [
          "argument",
          "argument#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "controversial",
          "controversial#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "motte and bailey",
          "motte and bailey#Noun"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbeɪli/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-bailey.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/59/En-us-bailey.ogg/En-us-bailey.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/En-us-bailey.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪli"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "_dis1": "49 47 0 4",
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "outer wall of a castle",
      "word": "ulkomuuri"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "49 47 0 4",
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "sense": "outer wall of a castle",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bábhún"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "49 47 0 4",
      "code": "la",
      "english": "medieval",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "lang_code": "la",
      "sense": "outer wall of a castle",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "translation": "medieval",
      "word": "ballium"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "49 47 0 4",
      "code": "scn",
      "lang": "Sicilian",
      "lang_code": "scn",
      "sense": "outer wall of a castle",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bagghiu"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "44 51 0 4",
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "space contained by the outer wall of a castle",
      "word": "linnanpiha"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "44 51 0 4",
      "code": "scn",
      "lang": "Sicilian",
      "lang_code": "scn",
      "sense": "space contained by the outer wall of a castle",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bagghiu"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bailey"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪli",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪli/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Latin translations",
    "Terms with Sicilian translations",
    "en:Walls and fences"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "motte and bailey"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "baile",
        "4": "",
        "5": "palisade, enclosure"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French baile (“palisade, enclosure”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "bacula"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin bacula",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old French baile (“palisade, enclosure”), from Latin bacula, plural of baculum (“stick, rod”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "baileys",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "bailey (plural baileys)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The outer wall of a feudal castle."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "feudal",
          "feudal"
        ],
        [
          "castle",
          "castle"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The space immediately within the outer wall of a castle or fortress."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fortress",
          "fortress"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with collocations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              8,
              14
            ],
            [
              34,
              40
            ]
          ],
          "tags": [
            "collocation"
          ],
          "text": "the Old Bailey in London; the New Bailey in Manchester",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A prison or court of justice."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "prison",
          "prison"
        ],
        [
          "justice",
          "justice"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(in certain proper names) A prison or court of justice."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "in certain proper names"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              29,
              35
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2023 February 10, “Why Birds Are Not Dinosaurs (And Why It Matters)”, in Answers in Genesis, archived from the original on 15 Mar 2023:",
          "text": "\"Birds are dinosaurs\" is the bailey; \"birds are more similar to dinosaurs than anything else\" is the motte.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An argument which is controversial and more difficult to defend (in the context of a motte and bailey fallacy)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "argument",
          "argument#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "controversial",
          "controversial#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "motte and bailey",
          "motte and bailey#Noun"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbeɪli/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-bailey.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/59/En-us-bailey.ogg/En-us-bailey.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/En-us-bailey.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪli"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "outer wall of a castle",
      "word": "ulkomuuri"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "sense": "outer wall of a castle",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bábhún"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "english": "medieval",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "lang_code": "la",
      "sense": "outer wall of a castle",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "translation": "medieval",
      "word": "ballium"
    },
    {
      "code": "scn",
      "lang": "Sicilian",
      "lang_code": "scn",
      "sense": "outer wall of a castle",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bagghiu"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "space contained by the outer wall of a castle",
      "word": "linnanpiha"
    },
    {
      "code": "scn",
      "lang": "Sicilian",
      "lang_code": "scn",
      "sense": "space contained by the outer wall of a castle",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bagghiu"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bailey"
}

Download raw JSONL data for bailey meaning in English (3.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (96027d6 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.