Bastille — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ba-ˈstēl/ bas·tille

Meaning & Definition of Bastille

Bastille (noun)

  1. prison, jail

Bastille (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody

    "were amazed by the squalid, cramped quarters in the town's historic bastille"

    similar: big house (slang), bridewell, brig, calaboose, can, clink (slang), cooler, coop, guardroom, hock, hold, hoosegow, jail, jailhouse, joint (slang), jug, lockup, nick (British slang), pen, penitentiary, pokey (slang), prison, quod (British slang), slam, slammer, stir (slang), stockade, tolbooth (Scottish)
    related: bull pen, cage, cell, hole, tank, block, ward, glasshouse (British), guardhouse, hulk(s), concentration camp, gulag, labor camp, prison camp, stalag, work camp, dungeon, keep, oubliette, reformatory, reform school, training school
    near: outside

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bastille

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bastille:

Slang: big house, clink, joint, pokey, stir
British slang: nick, quod
Scottish: tolbooth
bridewell, brig, calaboose, can, cooler, coop, guardroom, hock, hold, hoosegow, jail, jailhouse, jug, lockup, pen, penitentiary, prison, slam, slammer, stockade

Related Words for Bastille

bull pen, cage, cell, hole, tank, block, ward, glasshouse, guardhouse, hulk(s), concentration camp, gulag, labor camp, prison camp, stalag, work camp, dungeon, keep, oubliette, reformatory, reform school, training school

Near Antonyms of Bastille

outside

Origin & Etymology of Bastille

borrowed from French, after the Bastille St. Antoine, fortress built at an eastern gate of Paris in the later 14th century (used as a prison and destroyed in 1789), from Middle French bassetille, bastille "fortress, fortification," alteration (by substitution of the suffix -ille, usually diminutive, going back to Latin -īcula) of bastide, borrowed from Old Occitan bastida "building, fortification," noun derivative from feminine past participle of bastir "to weave, build, construct," going back to Old Low Franconian *bastjan "to weave with bast strips" baste:1

First known use: 1663

Words & Phrases Containing Bastille

Bastille Day

Frequently Asked Questions about Bastille

What does "Bastille" mean?

"Bastille" means prison, jail. As a noun, it is defined as: prison, jail.

What is another word for "Bastille"?

Other words for "Bastille" include big house, bridewell, brig, calaboose, can, clink, cooler and coop. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bastille" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bastille"?

There are 50 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bastille". Common alternatives include big house, bridewell, brig, calaboose, can, clink, cooler, coop, guardroom and hock.

What is a slang word for "Bastille"?

Slang words for "Bastille" include big house, clink, joint, pokey, stir and nick.

How do you use "Bastille" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bastille" in a sentence: "were amazed by the squalid, cramped quarters in the town's historic bastille".

Is "Bastille" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bastille" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Bastille"?

"Bastille" is pronounced /ba-ˈstēl/ and divided into syllables as bas·tille.

What is the origin of the word "Bastille"?

"Bastille" comes from borrowed from French, after the Bastille St. Antoine, fortress built at an eastern gate of Paris in the later 14th century (used as a prison and destroyed in 1789), from Middle French bassetille, bastille "fortress, fortification," alteration (by substitution of the suffix -ille, usually diminutive, going back to Latin -īcula) of bastide, borrowed from Old Occitan bastida "building, fortification," noun derivative from feminine past participle of bastir "to weave, build, construct," going back to Old Low Franconian *bastjan "to weave with bast strips" baste:1. First known use: 1663.