bailey

See also: Bailey

English

Etymology

From Old French baile (“palisade, enclosure”), from Latin bacula, plural of baculum (“stick, rod”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeɪli/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪli

Noun

bailey (plural baileys)

1. The outer wall of a feudal castle.
2. The space immediately within the outer wall of a castle or fortress.
3. (in certain proper names) A prison or court of justice.

   the Old Bailey in London; the New Bailey in Manchester

4. An argument which is controversial and more difficult to defend (in the context of a motte and bailey fallacy).
   • 2023 February 10, “Why Birds Are Not Dinosaurs (And Why It Matters)”, in Answers in Genesis‎^[1], archived from the original on 2023-03-15:

     "Birds are dinosaurs" is the bailey; "birds are more similar to dinosaurs than anything else" is the motte.

     Answers in Genesis is an organization which advocates in favour of Young Earth creationism.

Derived terms

• motte and bailey

Translations

outer wall of a castle

• Finnish: ulkomuuri
• Irish: bábhún m
• Latin: ballium n (medieval)

space contained by the outer wall of a castle

• Finnish: linnanpiha

References

• “bailey”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.