bailers
|bail-er-s|
🇺🇸
/ˈbeɪlɚz/
🇬🇧
/ˈbeɪləz/
(bailer)
one who or one that removes water
Etymology
'bailer' originates from English, formed by the verb 'bail' + the agentive suffix '-er' (meaning 'one who does').
'bail' entered Middle English as 'bailen' from Old French 'baillier' (to deliver, hand over); the agent-form 'bailer' developed in English to mean 'one who bails (out water)' and produced the plural 'bailers'.
Initially related to the general idea of 'handing or removing' (from Old French), the sense specialized in English to 'removing water' (as from a boat); 'bailer' became 'one or a tool that removes water'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a device (such as a bucket or scoop) used for removing water from a boat, container, or other place.
The crew used bailers to remove the water that had sloshed into the dinghy.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/01 17:37