bastille

bas·tille  (b-stl)

n.

A prison; a jail.

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[French, from Old French, fortress, alteration of bastide, from Old Provençal bastida, from bastir, to build, of Germanic origin.]

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Bastille [bæˈstiːl (French) bastij]

n

(Placename) a fortress in Paris, built in the 14th century: a prison until its destruction in 1789, at the beginning of the French Revolution

[from Old French bastile fortress, from Old Provençal bastida, from bastir to build, of Germanic origin; see baste¹]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	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 France, French Republic - a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe capital of France, City of Light, French capital, Paris - the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
	2.	bastille - a jail or prison (especially one that is run in a tyrannical manner) gaol, jail, jailhouse, pokey, poky, slammer, clink - 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) prison, prison house - a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment