bastille
Chiefly in French contexts: a bastion or tower of a castleChiefly in French contexts: a bastion (“projecting part of a rampart or other fortification”) or tower of a castle; also, a fortified tower or other building; or a small citadel or fortress.
» He planned a party to celebrate Bastille Day.
Meaning
4 sensesChiefly in French contexts: a bastion (“projecting part of a rampart or other fortification”) or tower of a castle; also, a fortified tower or other building; or a small citadel or fortress.
Festung
кре́постьkrépostʹ
(figuratively)A jail or prison, especially one regarded as mistreating its prisoners.
Kerker
басти́лияbastílija
a jail or prison (especially one that is run in a tyrannical manner)
(UK, derogatory, figuratively)Synonym of workhouse (“an institution for homeless poor people funded by the local parish, where the able-bodied were required to work”).
(historical)The fortified encampment of an army besieging a place; also, any of the buildings in such an encampment.
Examples
2 sentencesHe planned a party to celebrate Bastille Day.
I celebrated Bastille day with a baguette, Roquefort and a glass of mediocre French red.
ruЯ отпраздновал День взятия Бастилии с багетом, рокфором и бокалом средненького французского красного. — caponych
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 2
By meaning 2
Origin
The noun is derived from Middle English bastile, bastel (“fortification for attack mountedThe noun is derived from Middle English bastile, bastel (“fortification for attack mounted on a barge or wheels; projecting part of a fortification, bastion, turret; fortified encampment of a besieging army; structure carrying armed men on an elephant’s back; (figuratively) refuge, shelter; protector”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman bastile, bastille, Middle French bastille, and Old French baastel, basstel (“fortification; fortified tower; temporary fortification constructed for attack or defence; (small) castle or fortress”) (modern French bastille; compare Medieval Latin bastīle), from bastide (“fortification; fortress”) with the ending modified after nouns ending in -ille (from Latin -īle (suffix forming place names)). Bastide is derived from Old Occitan bastida (“fortification; (Provence) country mansion”), from bastir (“to build, construct”) + -ida (suffix forming nouns); while bastir is from *bastīre, from Frankish *bastijan (“to sew; to weave”), from Proto-West Germanic *bast (“fibre; rope”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰask- ~ *bʰasḱ- (“bundle, heap, load”) but this is disputed.
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