bastille

Alternative forms

• bastile (obsolete)

Etymology

From French bastille, from Late Latin bastilia, plural of bastile, from bastire (“to build”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): [bæˈstɪəɫ], [bæˈstiːɫ]

Noun

bastille (plural bastilles)

1. A castle tower, or fortified building; a small citadel or fortress.
2. A prison or jail.
   • 1663, Samuel Butler, Hudibras, I.2:

     Thither arriv'd, th' advent'rous Knight / And bold Squire from their Steeds alight, / At th' outward Wall, near which there stands / A Bastile, built t' imprison Hands [...].

Anagrams

• Balliets, bile salt, listable

Etymology

From Late Latin bastilia, plural of bastile, from bastire (“to build”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bastij/

Noun

bastille f (plural bastilles)

1. fortress

Further reading

• “bastille” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).