Nearby Words
noun, plural bas·tilles 
[ba-steelz; Fr. bas-tee-yuh] .
[ba-steelz; Fr. bas-tee-yuh] . 1.
(initial capital letter) a fortress in Paris, used as a prison, built in the 14th century and destroyed July 14, 1789.
2.
any prison or jail, especially one conducted in a tyrannical way.
3.
a fortified tower, as of a castle; a small fortress; citadel.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English bastile < Middle French, probably alteration of bastide bastide, with -ile (< Medieval Latin, Latin -īle noun suffix of place) replacing -ide; replacing Middle English bastel < Old French basstel, with -el similarly replacing -ide
1350–1400; Middle English bastile < Middle French, probably alteration of bastide bastide, with -ile (< Medieval Latin, Latin -īle noun suffix of place) replacing -ide; replacing Middle English bastel < Old French basstel, with -el similarly replacing -ide
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Bastile
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
Bastille
14c. Paris prison destroyed by revolutionaries on July 14, 1789, lit. "fortress, tower" (see bastion).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
Bastille [(ba-steel)]A prison in Paris where many political and other offenders were held and tortured until the time of the French Revolution. It was attacked by workers on July 14, 1789, during the revolution; the prisoners were released, and the building was later demolished.
Note: The anniversary of the attack, Bastille Day, is the most important national holiday in France.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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