bald

English Online Dictionary. What means bald‎? What does bald mean?

English

Etymology

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

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɔːld/
  • (UK, nonstandard) IPA^(key): /bəʊld/, [bɒʊld]
• (US) IPA^(key): /bɔld/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /bɑld/
• Rhymes: -ɔːld
• Homophones: balled, bawled

Adjective

bald (comparative balder, superlative baldest)

1. Having little or no hair, fur, or feathers.

   Synonym: hairless

   Antonyms: faxed, haired
2. (specifically) Having little or no hair on the head, or having a large area of bare scalp on top of the head.
3. Of animals, having areas (of fur or plumage) that are colored white, especially on the head.
4. (by extension) Denuded of any covering.

5. Of tyres: whose surface is worn away.
6. Of a statement or account, unembellished.
7. Of a statement, without evidence or support being provided.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

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.

Verb

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

1. (intransitive) To become bald.

Translations

See also

• callow
• nott

Further reading

• bald on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Appalachian balds on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• ABDL, DLAB, blad

German

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /balt/
• Homophone: ballt

Adverb

bald (comparative eher or früher, superlative am ehesten or frühesten)

1. soon, near in time

   Synonyms: demnächst, in Kürze, zeitnah

2. almost

   Synonyms: fast, beinahe

3. (repeated) Indicates a quick succession of events.

Derived terms

• alsbald
• bis bald
• in Bälde
• sobald

Related terms

• -bold

Further reading

• “bald” in Duden online
• “bald” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɑld/, [bɑɫd]

Adjective

bald (Anglian)

1. Alternative form of beald

Declension

Old High German

Alternative forms

• pald

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bald/

Adjective

bald

1. bold, quick

Derived terms

• baldī (“boldness”)
• baldo

Descendants

• Middle High German: balt
  • German: (obsolete) bald
  • Bavarian: bald

References

• Joseph Wright, An Old High German Primer

Old Saxon

Etymology

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

Adjective

bald (comparative baldoro, superlative baldost)

1. bold, fearless

Declension

Descendants

• Middle Low German: bald, bold, balt, bolt
  • German Low German: bold, boll

References

• Köbler, Gerhard, Altsächsisches Wörterbuch (5th edition 2014)