Plural of bastile, a medieval fortress or fortified prison, most famously the Bastille in Paris.
From Old French bastille, meaning a fortified outpost or tower. The word comes from bastir (to build), which has roots in Germanic languages. The Bastille became a symbol of tyranny before its destruction in 1789.
The Bastille, a bastile in Paris, became so infamous as a symbol of royal oppression that its storming in 1789 sparked the French Revolution—even though by that time it held only seven prisoners and was scheduled for demolition anyway!
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