bald - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

A bald man

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-

Proto-Indo-European *bʰḗlH-o-m

Proto-West Germanic *bāl

Old English bæl?

English bald

From Middle English balled, ballid, bald (“bald”), of uncertain origin. Probably formed from Middle English bal, balle (“ball, round object, knoll, head”). Compare Old Danish bældet (“bald”).

An alternate etymology has Old English bǣl (“fire, flame; funeral pyre”), from Proto-Germanic *bēlą. Compare Albanian balë (“white spot on the forehead”) and ballë (“forehead”).

bald (comparative balder, superlative baldest)

  1. Having little or no hair, fur, or feathers.
    Synonym: hairless
    Antonyms: faxed, haired
    My uncle is bald.
    • 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
      The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces.
    • 2019, Lynn Enright, Vagina: A Re-Education‎[1], Atlantic Books, →ISBN:
      Porn didn't revolutionize our pubic hair overnight […] but the general gist is that the vast majority of porn performers in film and magazines had full bushes until Hustler magazine printed a bald vulva, a so-called ‘pink shot’, in 1974.
    1. (specifically) Having little or no hair on the head, or having a large area of bare scalp on top of the head.
      a bald man with a moustache
      • 2015 February 10, Dan Merica, quoting Bernie Sanders, “The Democratic presidential nominee that doesn’t have to be a registered Democrat”, in CNN‎[2]:
        “I am getting balder and balder trying to figure these things out,” he said at an event in Washington, D.C. on Monday where he acknowledged – as he has before – that he would not run outside the Democratic party establishment.
      • 2021 March 14, Michael Segalov, “It can leave your self-image fractured”, in The Guardian‎[3]:
        There has never been a bald James Bond nor a hairless contestant on Love Island. Growing up, bald men were never the superheroes and always the villains.
  2. Of animals, having areas (of fur or plumage) that are colored white, especially on the head.
  3. (figurative) Lacking any covering.
    The bald cypress is a tree that loses its leaves in winter.
  4. (figurative) Of a tyre, whose surface is worn away.
  5. (figurative) Of a statement or account, unembellished.
    • 1922, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Black Doctor:
      Such is a bald statement of the singular and romantic series of events which centred public attention upon this Lancashire tragedy.
    • 1994, Route 9A Reconstruction Project, Battery Place to 59th St.:
      The NYSDOT, through the DSEIS, makes a bald assertion in the DSEIS, but does not explain in detail, why it feels that the Short Bypass Tunnel provides a more appropriate and respectful setting for the WTC Memorial.
    • 2006, João Ferreira Duarte, Alexandra Assis Rosa, Teresa Seruya, Translation Studies at the Interface of Disciplines, →ISBN, page 115:
      Here the existential process (“there is”) functions as a bald assertion of fact, with no hedging or concessions to the observer's subjectivity, while the nominalization (“a significant role-reversal”) activates a pre-existing category from the discourse of Literary Criticism, into which the present "specimen" will be slotted.
    • 2007 November 14, Luke Harding, “Putin: I have a moral right to continue wielding influence”, in The Guardian‎[4]:
      But yesterday's remarks are the baldest affirmation yet that Putin has no real intention of resigning from politics.
  6. (figurative) Of a statement, without evidence or support being provided.
    • 1891, The Australian law times - Volumes 12-13, page 61:
      The plaintiff in this case must satisfy the judge that she has visible means, the mere bald statement that she has visible means is not suflicient.
    • 2001, Canadian patent reporter, page 194:
      The question regarding this issue is whether the applicant raised sufficient doubts regarding adoption and use of the official mark by the respondent as to have the effect that the respondent's bald assertion is not enough to provide evidence that the official mark was adopted and used or whether a negative inference should be drawn from the failure of the respondent to provide further evidence.
    • 2005, Colin Tredoux, Psychology and Law, →ISBN, page 198:
      The Criminal Procedure Act of 1977 gives police officials the power and discretion to conduct identification procedures 'A bald statement that the accused is the person who committed the crime is not enough ... the greatest care should be taken to test the evidence.
    • 2010, World Trade Organization, Dispute Settlement Reports 2008: Volume 11, →ISBN, page 3959:
      The EC's bald assertion of compliance in the context of this scientific and factual landscape highlights the fact that it has made no effort to demonstrate how its new import ban satisfies the conditions of a "provisional" ban under Article 5.7 of the SPS Agreement or "rationally relates" to or is "reasonably supported" by a risk assessment for purposes of Article 5.1 of the SPS Agreement.

having little or no hair — see also bare,‎ glabrous

of an animal, white areas

of a tyre, whose surface is worn away

bald (plural balds)

  1. (Appalachia) A mountain summit or crest that lacks forest growth despite a warm climate conducive to such, as is found in many places in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
  2. (uncommon) A bald person.
    • 1982 December 4, “GWM 32 6 165 North Of Bos”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 20 (personal advertisement), page 18:
      Brn hair eyes & stache sks same 28-38 for gd times fun frndship & or possibly more near Waltham area no balds drugs queens kinky scenes fats or pot smokg.

bald (third-person singular simple present balds, present participle balding, simple past and past participle balded)

  1. (intransitive) To become bald.
  2. (transitive) To make bald.
    • 2009, Bill Murray, Renegade Colonel, page 34:
      He looked like a new Army recruit. "You've balded me!" he cried. He was so mad and hurt. He told Mom he wasn't going back to school until his hair grew out.

to lose hair

From Middle High German balde, from Old High German baldo, adverb of bald, pald, from Proto-West Germanic *balþ, from Proto-Germanic *balþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-. Cognate with Dutch boud, English bold.

bald (comparative eher, superlative am ehesten)

  1. soon (near in time)
    Synonyms: demnächst, in Kürze, zeitnah
    Bald ist der Urlaub vorbei.
    The vacation will soon be over.
  2. almost (of a changing value that is predicted to reach said number soon)
    Synonyms: fast, beinahe
    Mit bald 80 Jahren ist mein Vater noch auf Apfelbäume geklettert.
    At almost 80 years, my father still used to climb on apple trees.
  3. (repeated) indicates a rapid alternation of states; now ..., now ...; sometimes ..., sometimes ...
    Synonyms: mal, manchmal
    bald Regen und bald Sonnenschein ― now rain, now shine
    • 1911, Erwin Rosen [pseudonym; Erwin Carlé], Der Deutsche Lausbub in Amerika [The German prankster in America], page 161:
      Zwischen den Reitern drängten sich Fußgänger; bald im einfachen Flanellhemd und den riemengegürteten Hosen des Westens, bald in eleganten Anzügen und tadelloser weißer Wäsche.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1913 [1878], chapter 18, in Hermann Röhl, transl., Anna Karenina‎[5], translation of Анна Каренина (Anna Karenina) by Leo Tolstoy, part 1:
      Es war, als schlösse ihr Wesen eine solche Überfülle von Lebenslust ein, daß diese sich unwillkürlich bald in dem Glanze der Augen, bald in dem Lächeln des Mundes bekunden müsse.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

bald

  1. alternative form of bolde

bald (Anglian)

  1. alternative form of beald

Declension of bald — Strong

Declension of bald — Weak

From Proto-West Germanic *balþ, from Proto-Germanic *balþaz, whence also Old English beald, Old Norse ballr.

bald

  1. bold, quick

Strong declension of bald

singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldēr, bald baldiu, bald baldaȥ, bald
accusative baldan balda baldaȥ, bald
genitive baldes baldera baldes
dative baldemu balderu baldemu
instrumental baldu — baldu
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative balde, bald baldo, bald baldiu, bald
accusative balde baldo baldiu, bald
genitive baldero baldero baldero
dative baldēm baldēm baldēm

Weak declension of bald

singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldo balda balda
accusative baldon baldūn balda
genitive balden baldūn balden
dative balden baldūn balden
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldon baldūn baldon
accusative baldon baldūn baldon
genitive baldōno baldōno baldōno
dative baldōm baldōm baldōm

Declension of comparative of bald

singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldōro baldōra baldōra
accusative baldōron baldōrūn baldōra
genitive baldōren baldōrūn baldōren
dative baldōren baldōrūn baldōren
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldōron baldōrūn baldōron
accusative baldōron baldōrūn baldōron
genitive baldōrōno baldōrōno baldōrōno
dative baldōrōm baldōrōm baldōrōm

Strong declension of superlative bald

singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldōstēr, baldōst baldōstiu, baldōst baldōstaȥ, baldōst
accusative baldōstan baldōsta baldōstaȥ, baldōst
genitive baldōstes baldōstera baldōstes
dative baldōstemu baldōsteru baldōstemu
instrumental baldōstu — baldōstu
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldōste, baldōst baldōsto, baldōst baldōstiu, baldōst
accusative baldōste baldōsto baldōstiu, baldōst
genitive baldōstero baldōstero baldōstero
dative baldōstēm baldōstēm baldōstēm

Weak declension of superlative bald

singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldōsto baldōsta baldōsta
accusative baldōston baldōstūn baldōsta
genitive baldōsten baldōstūn baldōsten
dative baldōsten baldōstūn baldōsten
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldōston baldōstūn baldōston
accusative baldōston baldōstūn baldōston
genitive baldōstōno baldōstōno baldōstōno
dative baldōstōm baldōstōm baldōstōm

From Proto-West Germanic *balþ, from Proto-Germanic *balþaz, whence also Old English bald, Old Norse ballr.

bald (comparative baldoro, superlative baldost)

  1. bold, fearless

Positive forms of bald

Strong declension
singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative bald bald bald balde, balda balda bald, balda
accusative baldan, balden balda bald balda, balde balda bald, balda
genitive baldes, baldas baldara, baldaro baldes, baldas baldaro, baldoro, baldero baldaro, baldoro, baldero baldaro, baldoro, baldero
dative baldumu, baldum, baldun, baldun, baldon, balden, baldan baldaro, baldaru, baldara baldumu, baldum, baldun, baldun, baldon, balden, baldan baldun, baldon, baldum baldun, baldon baldun, baldon, baldum
Weak declension
singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldo, balda balda, balde balda, balde baldon, baldun baldon, baldun, baldan baldon, baldun
accusative baldon, baldan baldun, baldon, baldan balda, balde baldon, baldun baldon, baldun, baldan baldon, baldun
genitive balden, baldan baldun, baldan, balden balden, baldan baldono, baldeno baldono baldono, baldeno
dative baldon, balden, baldan baldun, baldan baldon, balden, baldan baldon, baldun baldon, baldun baldon, baldun

Comparative forms of bald (weak only)

Weak declension
singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldoro, baldora baldora, baldore baldora, baldore baldoron, baldorun baldoron, baldorun, baldoran baldoron, baldorun
accusative baldoron, baldoran baldorun, baldoron, baldoran baldora, baldore baldoron, baldorun baldoron, baldorun, baldoran baldoron, baldorun
genitive baldoren, baldoran baldorun, baldoran, baldoren baldoren, baldoran baldorono, baldoreno baldorono baldorono, baldoreno
dative baldoron, baldoren, baldoran baldorun, baldoran baldoron, baldoren, baldoran baldoron, baldorun baldoron, baldorun baldoron, baldorun

Superlative forms of bald

Strong declension
singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldost baldost baldost baldoste, baldosta baldosta baldost, baldosta
accusative baldostan, baldosten baldosta baldost baldosta, baldoste baldosta baldost, baldosta
genitive baldostes, baldostas baldostara, baldostaro baldostes, baldostas baldostaro, baldostoro, baldostero baldostaro, baldostoro, baldostero baldostaro, baldostoro, baldostero
dative baldostumu, baldostum, baldostun, baldostun, baldoston, baldosten, baldostan baldostaro, baldostaru, baldostara baldostumu, baldostum, baldostun, baldostun, baldoston, baldosten, baldostan baldostun, baldoston, baldostum baldostun, baldoston baldostun, baldoston, baldostum
Weak declension
singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative baldosto, baldosta baldosta, baldoste baldosta, baldoste baldoston, baldostun baldoston, baldostun, baldostan baldoston, baldostun
accusative baldoston, baldostan baldostun, baldoston, baldostan baldosta, baldoste baldoston, baldostun baldoston, baldostun, baldostan baldoston, baldostun
genitive baldosten, baldostan baldostun, baldostan, baldosten baldosten, baldostan baldostono, baldosteno baldostono baldostono, baldosteno
dative baldoston, baldosten, baldostan baldostun, baldostan baldoston, baldosten, baldostan baldoston, baldostun baldoston, baldostun baldoston, baldostun