noun
bail
A crosspiece resting on or joining upright supports.
A cricket ball knocks a bail from the top of the stumps.
Etymology
The older sense is a bar or barrier, associated with Old French bail. A crosspiece joining uprights retains that physical meaning, as do the small bars resting on cricket stumps.
More examples
- Both bails remained balanced across the uprights.
- The umpire replaced the fallen bail.
- The wicket consists of three stumps topped by two bails.
Forms
bail · bails
Similar words
- crosspiece
- Is a general bar joining or resting across supports.
- stump
- Names an upright cricket support rather than the piece resting above it.