The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bail \Bail\ (b[=a]l), n. [F. baille a bucket, pail; cf. LL.
   bacula, dim. of bacca a sort of vessel. Cf. Bac.]
   A bucket or scoop used in bailing water out of a boat. [Obs.]
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         The bail of a canoe . . . made of a human skull.
                                                  --Capt. Cook.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bail \Bail\, n. [OE. beyl; cf. Dan. b["o]ile a bending, ring,
   hoop, Sw. b["o]gel, bygel, and Icel. beyla hump, swelling,
   akin to E. bow to bend.]
   1. The arched handle of a kettle, pail, or similar vessel,
      usually movable. --Forby.
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   2. A half hoop for supporting the cover of a carrier's wagon,
      awning of a boat, etc.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bail \Bail\, n. [OF. bail, baille. See Bailey.]
   1. (Usually pl.) A line of palisades serving as an exterior
      defense. [Written also bayle.] [Obs.]
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   2. The outer wall of a feudal castle. Hence: The space
      inclosed by it; the outer court. --Holinshed.
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   3. A certain limit within a forest. [Eng.]
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   4. A division for the stalls of an open stable.
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   5. (Cricket) The top or cross piece (or either of the two
      cross pieces) of the wicket.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bail \Bail\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bailed (b[=a]ld); p. pr. &
   vb. n. Bailing.]
   1. To lade; to dip and throw; -- usually with out; as, to
      bail water out of a boat.
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            Buckets . . . to bail out the water.  --Capt. J.
                                                  Smith.
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   2. To dip or lade water from; -- often with out to express
      completeness; as, to bail a boat.
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            By the help of a small bucket and our hats we bailed
            her out.                              --R. H. Dana,
                                                  Jr.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bail \Bail\, n. [OF. bail guardian, administrator, fr. L.
   bajulus. See Bail to deliver.]
   1. Custody; keeping. [Obs.]
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            Silly Faunus now within their bail.   --Spenser.
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   2. (Law)
      (a) The person or persons who procure the release of a
          prisoner from the custody of the officer, or from
          imprisonment, by becoming surety for his appearance in
          court.
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                The bail must be real, substantial bondsmen.
                                                  --Blackstone.
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                A. and B. were bail to the arrest in a suit at
                law.                              --Kent.
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      (b) The security given for the appearance of a prisoner in
          order to obtain his release from custody of the
          officer; as, the man is out on bail; to go bail for
          any one.
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                Excessive bail ought not to be required.
                                                  --Blackstone.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bail \Bail\, v. t. [OF. bailler to give, to deliver, fr. L.
   bajulare to bear a burden, keep in custody, fr. bajulus he
   who bears burdens.]
   1. To deliver; to release. [Obs.]
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            Ne none there was to rescue her, ne none to bail.
                                                  --Spenser.
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   2. (Law)
      (a) To set free, or deliver from arrest, or out of
          custody, on the undertaking of some other person or
          persons that he or they will be responsible for the
          appearance, at a certain day and place, of the person
          bailed.
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   Note: The word is applied to the magistrate or the surety.
         The magistrate bails (but admits to bail is commoner) a
         man when he liberates him from arrest or imprisonment
         upon bond given with sureties. The surety bails a
         person when he procures his release from arrest by
         giving bond for his appearance. --Blackstone.
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      (b) To deliver, as goods in trust, for some special object
          or purpose, upon a contract, expressed or implied,
          that the trust shall be faithfully executed on the
          part of the bailee, or person intrusted; as, to bail
          cloth to a tailor to be made into a garment; to bail
          goods to a carrier. --Blackstone. Kent.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

bail
    n 1: (criminal law) money that must be forfeited by the bondsman
         if an accused person fails to appear in court for trial;
         "the judge set bail at $10,000"; "a $10,000 bond was
         furnished by an alderman" [syn: bail, bail bond,
         bond]
    2: the legal system that allows an accused person to be
       temporarily released from custody (usually on condition that
       a sum of money guarantees their appearance at trial); "he is
       out on bail"
    v 1: release after a security has been paid
    2: deliver something in trust to somebody for a special purpose
       and for a limited period
    3: secure the release of (someone) by providing security
    4: empty (a vessel) by bailing
    5: remove (water) from a vessel with a container

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

45 Moby Thesaurus words for "bail":
   arraignment, bond, bucket, charge, cup, decant, dip, dish,
   dish out, dish up, earnest, earnest money, escrow, fork, gage,
   guaranty, handsel, hock, hostage, impeachment, indictment,
   information, lade, ladle, mainprise, pawn, pignus, pledge, pour,
   presentment, recognizance, replevin, replevy, scoop, security,
   shovel, spade, spoon, surety, token payment, true bill,
   undertaking, vadimonium, vadium, warranty



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

BAIL, practice, contracts. By bail is understood sureties, given according
to law, to insure the appearance of a party in court. The persons who become
surety are called bail. Sometimes the term is applied, with a want of
exactness, to the security given by a defendant, in order to obtain a stay
of execution, after judgment, in civil cases., Bail is either civil or
criminal.
     2.- 1. Civil bail is that which is entered in civil cases, and is
common or special bail below or bail above.
     3. Common bail is a formal entry of fictitious sureties in the proper
office of the court, which is called filing. common bail to the action. It
is in the same form as special bail, but differs from it in this, that the
sureties are merely fictitious, as John Doe and Richard Roe: it has,
consequently, none of, the incidents of special bail. It is allowed to the
defendant only when he has been discharged from arrest without bail, and it
is necessary in such cases to perfect the appearance of the defendant.
Steph. Pl. 56, 7; Grah. Pr. 155; Highm. on Bail 13.
     4. Special bail is an undertaking by one or more persons for another,
before some officer or court properly authorized for that purpose, that he
shall appear at a certain time and place, to answer a certain charge to be
exhibited against him. The essential qualification to enable a person to
become bail, are that he must be, 1. a freeholder or housekeeper; 2. liable
to the ordinary process of the court 3. capable of entering into a contract;
and 4. able to pay the amount for which he becomes responsible.
     1. He must be a freeholder or housekeeper. (q. v.) 2 Chit. R. 96; 5
Taunt. 174; Lofft, 148 3 Petersd. Ab. 104.
     2. He must be subject to the ordinary process of the court; and a
person privileged from arrest, either permanently or temporarily, will not
be taken. 4 Taunt. 249; 1 D. & R. 127; 2 Marsh. 232.
     3. He must be competent to enter into a contract; a feme covert, an
infant, or a person non compos mentis, cannot therefore become bail.
     4. He must be able to pay the amount for which he becomes responsible.
But it is immaterial whether his property consists of real or personal
estate, provided it be his own, in his own right; 3 Peterd. Ab. 196; 2 Chit.
Rep. 97; 11 Price, 158; and be liable to the ordinary process of the law; 4
Burr. 2526; though this rule is not invariably adhered to, for when part of
the property consisted of a ship, shortly expected, bail was permitted to
justify in respect of such property. 1 Chit. R. 286, n. As to the persons
who cannot be received because they are not responsible, see 1 Chit. R. 9,
116; 2 Chit. R. 77, 8; Lofft,  72, 184; 3 Petersd. Ab. 112; 1 Chit. R. 309,
n.
     5. Bail below. This is bail given to the sheriff in civil cases, when
the defendant is arrested on bailable process; which is done by giving him a
bail bond; it is so called to distinguish it from bail above. (q. v.) The
sheriff is bound to admit a man to bail, provided good and sufficient
sureties be tendered, but not otherwise. Stat. 23 H. VI. C. 9, A. D. 1444; 4
Anne, c. 16, Sec. 20; B. N. P. 224; 2 Term Rep., 560. The sheriff, is not,
however, bound-to demand bail, and may, at his risk, permit the defendant to
be at liberty, provided he will appear, that is, enter bail above, or
surrender himself in proper time. 1 Sell. Pr. 126, et seq. The undertaking
of bail below is, that the defendant will appear or put in bail to the
action on the return day of the writ.
     6. Bail above, is putting in bail to the action, which is an appearance
of the defendant. Bail above are bound either to satisfy the plaintiff his
debt and costs, or to surrender the defendant into custody, provided
judgment should be against him and he should fail to do so. Sell. Pr. 137.
     7. It is a general rule that the defendant having been held to bail, in
civil cases, cannot be held a second time for the same cause of action.
Tidd' s Pr. 184 Grah. Pr. 98; Troub. & Hal. 44; 1 Yeates, 206 8 Ves. Jur.
594. See Auter action Pendent; Lis pendens.
     8. - 2. Bail in criminal cases is defined to be a delivery or bailment
of a person to sureties, upon their giving, together with himself,
sufficient security for his appearance, he being supposed to be in their
friendly custody, instead of going to prison.
     9. The Constitution of the United States directs that "excessive bail
shall not be required." Amend. art. 8.
    10. By the acts of congress of September, 24, 1789, s. 33, and March 2,
1793, s. 4, authority is given to take bail for any crime or offence against
the United States, except where the punishment is death, to any justice or
judge of the United States, or to any chancellor, judge of the supreme or
superior court, or first judge of any court of common pleas, or mayor of any
city of any state, or to any justice of the peace or other magistrate of any
state, where the offender may be found the recognizance @tal,-en by any of
the persons authorized, is to be returned to the court having cognizance of
the offence.
    11. When the punishment by the laws of the United States is death, bail
can be taken only by the supreme or circuit court, or by a judge of the
district court of the United States. If the person committed by a justice of
the supreme court, or by the judge of a district court, for an offence not
punishable with death, shall, after commitment, offer bail, any judge of the
supreme or superior court of law, of any state, (there being no judge of the
United States in the district to take such bail,) way admit such person to
bail.
    12. Justices of the peace have in general power to take bail of persons
accused; and, when they have such authority they are required to take such
bail There are many cases, however, under the laws of the several states, as
well as under the laws of the United States,, as above mentioned, where
justices of the peace cannot take bail, but must commit; and, if the accused
offers bail, it must be taken by a judge or other,, officer lawfully
authorized.
    13. In Pennsylvania, for example, in cases of murder, or when the
defendant is charged with the stealing of any horse, mare, or gelding, on
the direct testimony of one witness; or shall be taken having possession of
such horse, mare, or gelding, a justice of the peace cannot admit the party
to bail. 1 Smith's L. of Pa. 581.
    14. In all cases where the party is admitted to bail, the recognizance
is to be returned to the court having @jurisdict on of the offence charged.
Vide Act of God. Arrest; Auter action pendent; Deat Lis pendens.