noun
Common
bailey
BAY-lee
Bailey (noun) means the outer wall of a castle, or the open courtyard enclosed within it. Example: “Archers stood on the wall above the bailey and watched the road.”
noun
1
The outer wall of a castle, or the open courtyard enclosed within it.
"Archers stood on the wall above the bailey and watched the road."
"Horses were kept in stables along one side of the castle bailey."
"Soldiers drilled in the bailey each morning before the castle gates opened."
2
An argument or claim that is hard to defend, in contrast with an easy-to-defend one — used in the phrase "motte and bailey."
"In a motte and bailey argument, the bold claim is the bailey."
"When pressed, she dropped her bold bailey and defended only the safe motte."
"His extreme claim was the bailey he retreated from once challenged, hiding behind a much milder "motte" instead."
""Birds are dinosaurs" is the bailey; "birds are more similar to dinosaurs than anything else" is the motte."
— , Why Birds Are Not Dinosaurs (And Why It Matters) (2023)
How to use bailey
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHistorically, the walled courtyard of a castle; more recently, part of the "motte and bailey" term for a rhetorical trick of switching between a bold claim and a safer one.
Memory tip
You'll mostly meet this word today in the phrase "motte-and-bailey argument," describing a debating tactic.
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Word forms
- Plural
- baileys
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Archers stood on the wall above the _____ and watched the road.
Etymology
From Old French baile ("palisade, enclosure"), from Latin bacula, plural of baculum ("stick, rod").
Synonyms
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Rhymes for bailey
See all rhymes for bailey →Frequently asked questions
What does “bailey” mean?
The word “bailey” means the outer wall of a castle, or the open courtyard enclosed within it. In plain terms, historically, the walled courtyard of a castle; more recently, part of the "motte and bailey" term for a rhetorical trick of switching between a bold claim and a safer one.
How do you pronounce “bailey”?
“Bailey” is pronounced BAY-lee (/ˈbeɪli/ in IPA).
How do you use “bailey” in a sentence?
Here is “bailey” used in a sentence: “Soldiers drilled in the bailey each morning before the castle gates opened.”
What part of speech is “bailey”?
“Bailey” is a noun.
Where does the word “bailey” come from?
The word “bailey” comes from Latin. From Old French baile ("palisade, enclosure"), from Latin bacula, plural of baculum ("stick, rod").
Is “bailey” a common word?
“Bailey” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “bailey” have?
“Bailey” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the outer wall of a castle, or the open courtyard enclosed within it.
What is the difference between a motte and a bailey?
In a medieval castle, the motte is the raised earth mound topped by the keep, while the bailey is the enclosed courtyard at its base, protected by an outer wall. Together they form the classic motte-and-bailey castle design.
What is a motte-and-bailey argument?
A motte-and-bailey argument is a rhetorical tactic in which someone advances a bold claim that is hard to defend (the bailey), then retreats to a safer, easy-to-defend claim (the motte) when challenged. The names come from castle design, where the bailey is the exposed courtyard and the motte is the fortified mound.
What is the difference between a bailey and a courtyard?
A bailey is specifically the open courtyard enclosed within a castle's outer wall, or that wall itself. A courtyard is any open area enclosed by buildings or walls, so every bailey is a courtyard but only castle courtyards are baileys.
Why is the Old Bailey called that?
The Old Bailey is the popular name for the Central Criminal Court in London, taken from the street on which it stands. The street name is generally thought to derive from the bailey of the old city wall, reflecting the word's original sense of a fortified enclosure.
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