- bail (v.)
- 1610s, "to dip water out of," from baile (n.) "small bucket" (early 14c.), from O.Fr. baille "bucket, pail," from M.L. *bajula (aquae), lit. "porter of water," from L. bajulare "to bear a burden" (see bail (n.1)). To bail out "leave suddenly" (intrans.) is recorded from 1930, originally of airplane pilots. As a noun, sometimes bailout, it dates from 1955.