noun
Bastille
ba-STEEL
noun
1
A fortress or prison, especially one associated with harsh or unjust treatment of its inmates.
"The rebels called the old jail a bastille and demanded it be torn down."
2
Capitalized: the Bastille, a Paris fortress-prison whose storming by an angry crowd in 1789 marked the start of the French Revolution.
"French people celebrate Bastille Day every July 14th."
How to Use Bastille
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually refers to the famous Paris prison stormed in 1789, or, more generally, any prison seen as oppressive.
Common pairings
storm the Bastille
Bastille Day
Word Forms
bastilled past tense, bastilles plural, bastilles singular
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The rebels called the old jail a _____ and demanded it be torn down.
Etymology
From French bastille, "fortress" — the same word gave English "bastion."