Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A bridge-tower, gate-tower, outlying defense, or citadel.
- noun In French history, a fortress used as a state prison.
- noun Hence By extension, any prison, especially one conducted in an arbitrary or oppressive way.
- noun A movable tower used by the besiegers of a strong place, whether for approaching the walls (see
belfry ) or as a defense and protection for the besiegers. - To confine in a bastile; imprison.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Feud. Fort.) A tower or an elevated work, used for the defense, or in the siege, of a fortified place.
- noun “The Bastille”, formerly a castle or fortress in Paris, used as a prison, especially for political offenders; hence, a rhetorical name for a prison.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Obsolete form of
bastille .
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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The latter part of this censure is judiciously correct; but the epithet "bastile" is perhaps too harsh for some ears.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 10, No. 275, September 29, 1827 Various
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American bastile: A history of the arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of American citizens during the late Civil War by John A Marshall
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American bastile: A history of the illegal arrests and imprisionment of American citizens in the northern and border states, on account of their political ... the late Civil War (Liberty reprint series) by John A Marshall
Criminals or Police? 2009
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American bastile: A history of the illegal arrests and imprisionment of American citizens in the northern and border states, on account of their political ... the late Civil War (Liberty reprint series) by John A Marshall
Lieberman Gets Another Visit from the Grassroots for Single-Payer (Updated) 2009
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American bastile: A history of the illegal arrests and imprisionment of American citizens in the northern and border states, on account of their political ... the late Civil War (Liberty reprint series) by John A Marshall
OpEdNews - Quicklink: Tasering W: The Torture of Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright by Lourisanna Police 2009
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American bastile: A history of the illegal arrests and imprisionment of American citizens in the northern and border states, on account of their political ... the late Civil War (Liberty reprint series) by John A Marshall
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American bastile: A history of the illegal arrests and imprisionment of American citizens in the northern and border states, on account of their political ... the late Civil War (Liberty reprint series) by John A Marshall
Lieberman Gets Another Visit from the Grassroots for Single-Payer (Updated) 2009
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American bastile: A history of the illegal arrests and imprisionment of American citizens in the northern and border states, on account of their political ... the late Civil War (Liberty reprint series) by John A Marshall
Lieberman Gets Another Visit from the Grassroots for Single-Payer (Updated) 2009
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American bastile: A history of the illegal arrests and imprisionment of American citizens in the northern and border states, on account of their political ... the late Civil War (Liberty reprint series) by John A Marshall
OpEdNews - Quicklink: GOP congressman hints at support for sending Rove to jail. 2008
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American bastile: A history of the illegal arrests and imprisionment of American citizens in the northern and border states, on account of their political ... the late Civil War (Liberty reprint series) by John A Marshall
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