bail up
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.01 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To stop (someone) to talk to them; to buttonhole.
Australian usage; New Zealand usage; Transitive verb
verb
To corner (someone); to hold (someone) under threat of violence; for dogs to hold people or animals at bay.
Australian usage; Transitive verb
verb
Misspelling of bale up.
Example Sentences
- "There were six young heifers that had just calved. I ran them into the yard in true ‘Riverina’ fashion; bailed the first one up; shanghaied her off-side leg to a post; pulled up the stool; sat down with a bucket between my legs and started to milk."
- "I'm late because Debbie bailed me up on the phone."
- "It always embarrassed me dreadfully the way Pop seemed to lack the sense and pride just to say ‘Good day’ to Doc instead of trying every time to bail him up and talk importantly."
- "They bailed me up for fifty bucks."