Definition of bastille Bastille

/bæˈstɪl/ - [bastil] - bas•tille

We found 8 definitions of bastille from 6 different sources.

What does bastille mean?

Noun Plural: bastilles
bastille - a fortress built in Paris in the 14th century and used as a prison in the 17th and 18th centuries; it was destroyed July 14, 1789 at the start of the French Revolution
		capital of france, city of light, french capital, paris the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
bastille - a jail or prison (especially one that is run in a tyrannical manner)
		gaol, jail, jailhouse, pokey, poky, clink, slammer a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)

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bastille (Noun)
A castle tower, or fortified building; a small citadel or fortress.
bastille (Noun)
A prison or jail.

bastille
Former fort in Paris which was used as a prison and stormed by the people at the beginning of the French Revolution.

bastille
bast-ēl′, n. an old fortress in Paris long used as a stale prison, and demolished by a revolutionary mob in July 1789: any prison regarded as a symbol of tyranny. [Fr.—O. Fr. bastir (Fr. bâtir), to build.]

bastille
(Paris). A castle built by Charles V., king of France, in 1369, for the defense of Paris against the English; completed in 1383, and afterwards used as a state prison. Henry IV. and his veteran army assailed it in vain in the siege of Paris during the war, 1587-94. On July 14-15, 1789, it was pulled down by the populace, the governor and other officers seized, conducted to the Place de Grève, their hands and heads were cut off, and the heads carried on pikes through the streets.

The Bastille was a prison in Paris, France. It was destroyed during the French Revolution on July 14, 1789. This event is considered the beginning of the French Revolution. Today in France, July 14 (Bastille Day) is a national holiday.