[ba-steel; 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, esp. one conducted in a tyrannical way. |
| 3. | a fortified tower, as of a castle; a small fortress; citadel. |
[ba-steel] .| bas·tille (bā-stēl') n. A prison; a jail. [French, from Old French, fortress, alteration of bastide, from Old Provençal bastida, from bastir, to build, of Germanic origin.] |
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.