Forms: 4– bale (6 balle, 6–8 ball), 7 bayl, 7–8 bail. [ME. bale, perh. a. OF. bale, balle, = Pr. and Sp. bala, It. balla, palla, med.L. bala, balla, ‘ball’ and ‘rounded package,’ generally taken to be an adoption of OHG. balla, palla, ball (BALL sb.1); though some refer it to Gr. πάλλα ball. But the Eng. may be immediately from Flemish bale (mod.Du. baal) ‘bale,’ itself adopted from F. or other Romanic lang. Bale and ball have from the first been distinct in Eng., though ball (for F. balle) is occasional in this sense in 17–18th c.]
1. A large bundle or package of merchandise, originally of more or less rounded shape; now, spec. a package closely pressed, done up in canvas or other wrapping, and tightly corded or hooped with copper or iron, for transportation.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., C. 57. Busy ouer-borde bale to kest.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 4201. Þay fulde sakkes, & trossede males, To Charyotes þay drowen þe grete bales.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst., 210. Of spicery ther growyth many an C. balys.
1540. Act 32 Hen. VIII., xiiii. A bale of saies of vi. fote high.
1695. W. Lowndes, Amendm. Silv. Coins, 6. The Merchants … concealed the Parcels in Bails of Cloth.
1755. Mem. Capt. P. Drake, II. iii. 59. Putting the Bails on board.
1765. Tucker, Lt. Nat., II. 416. Known to put false marks upon their bales.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., xiii. As tho’ they brought but merchants’ bales.
2. (Used with more or less precision as a measure of quantity.)
1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 206. A balle bokrom conteyneth lx. pecis … a balle fustian conteyneth xlv. half peces.
1740. Mem. Turkey, in Hanway, Trav. (1762), I. I. viii. 40. A reduction of their Custom … to thirty dollars the bale of twenty pieces.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., A bale or ballon of crown paper … consists of 14 reams.
1863. (30 June) Bright, Amer., Sp. (1876), 138. To grow one thousand bales of cotton a year.
1880. W. Whiteley, Diary & Alm., 82. Bale of coffee (Mocha) = 2 to 21/2 cwt.
3. Comb., as bale-goods, merchandise in bales: as opposed to case-goods.
1694. Lond. Gaz., No. 3032/3. Bound with Glass and Bale Goods … for Bourdeaux.
1790. Beatson, Nav. & Mil. Mem., I. 217. Her cargo consisted of cordage and bale goods.
† 4. The set of dice for any special game, formerly usually three. Obs.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks., 327. Paid to Jeffery for a bale of dysse iiiijd.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 848/2. Diuerse bales of dice, and … certeine paires of cards.
1578. Richmond. Wills (1853), 277. Iij ball of dyce, ixd.
1614. J. Cooke, Tu Quoque, in Dodsl. VII. 50 (N.). A pox upon these dice! give’s a fresh bale.
1632. Rowley, Woman never vexed, II. i. in Hazl., Dodsl., XXI. 121. Give’s a bale of dice! [They play at ‘Passage’ and throw] Two treys and an ace, Two quatres and a trey.
1680. Cotton, Compl. Gamester, in Singer, Play. Cards, 336. They [loaded dice] are sold in many places about the town; price current … eight shillings, whereas an ordinary bale is sold for sixpence.
1822. Scott, Nigel, xxiii. The Captain, taking a bale of dice from the sleeve of his coat.
† 5. ? A bolus, a pill = BALL sb.1 11. Obs.
1576. Baker, Gesner’s Jewell of Health, 183 b. I gave … to a melancholy person … five graynes … in a bale or dose.
