bald

bald /bɔːld $ bɒːld/ BrE AmE adjective
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Perhaps from ball 'white spot on an animal's head' (13-16 centuries), probably from Welsh bal]
1. having little or no hair on your head:
a bald man
his shiny bald head
Dad started going bald when he was in his thirties.
He combed his hair and tried to hide his bald patch (=part of someone’s head where there is no hair).
2. not having enough of what usually covers something:
The car’s tires are completely bald.
3. bald statement/facts/truth a statement etc that is correct but gives no additional information to help you understand or accept what is said:
The bald truth was that Lori didn’t love her husband anymore.
—baldness noun [uncountable]

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

bald

bald [bald balds balded balding balder baldest] [bɔːld] [bɔːld] adjective

1. having little or no hair on the head

• He started going bald in his twenties.

2. without any of the usual hair, marks, etc. covering the skin or surface of sth
• Our dog has a bald patch on its leg.

• a bald tyre (= a tyre whose surface has become smooth)

3. without any extra explanation or detail to help you understand or accept what is being said
• The bald fact is that we don't need you any longer.
• The letter was a bald statement of our legal position.
see also baldly
Idiom: bald as a coot
Derived Word: baldness
Word Origin:
Middle English: probably from a base meaning ‘white patch’, which came from the archaic sense ‘marked or streaked with white’. Compare with Welsh ceffyl bal, denoting a horse with a white mark on its face.
Example Bank:
• young men who go prematurely bald

• The bald fact is that we don't need you any longer.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

bald

bald (PLAIN) /bɔːld/ US /bɑːld/
adjective
basic and with no unnecessary words; not detailed:
There was just this bald statement of resignation - no explanation or anything.

baldly /ˈbɔːld.li/ US /ˈbɑːld-/
adverb
To put it baldly, I can't afford to take the risk.

baldness /ˈbɔːld.nəs/ US /ˈbɑːld-/
noun [U]
The baldness of her question shocked him.

bald (WITHOUT HAIR) /bɔːld/ US /bɑːld/
adjective
with little or no hair on the head:
At twenty he was already going bald.

balding /ˈbɔːl.dɪŋ/ US /ˈbɑːl-/
adjective
Eammon was plump and balding (= becoming bald) but somehow very attractive to women.

baldy, baldie /ˈbɔːl.di/ US /ˈbɑːl-/
noun [C] HUMOROUS
an unkind name for someone who has lost or is losing the hair on their head:
"Hey, baldy!"

baldness /ˈbɔːld.nəs/ US /ˈbɑːld-/
noun [U]

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

bald

/bɔ:ld/
(balder, baldest)

1.
Someone who is bald has little or no hair on the top of their head.
The man’s bald head was beaded with sweat...
ADJ
• bald‧ness
He wears a cap to cover a spot of baldness.
N-UNCOUNT

2.
If a tyre is bald, its surface has worn down and it is no longer safe to use.
ADJ

3.
A bald statement is in plain language and contains no extra explanation or information.
The announcement came in a bald statement from the official news agency...
The bald truth is he’s just not happy.
= blunt
ADJ: ADJ n
• bald‧ly
‘The leaders are outdated,’ he stated baldly. ‘They don’t relate to young people.’
= bluntly
ADV: ADV with v

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

bald

bald /ˈbɑːld/ adj bald·er; -est
1 a of a person : having no hair or very little hair on the head
• a bald man
• All of his uncles are completely bald.
• He's already starting to go bald. [=to become bald]
• He had gone completely bald by the age of 30.
b of a part of the body : not covered with hair
• He covered his bald head with a baseball cap.
• There's a bald spot on the top of his head.
• There are bald patches in the cat's fur.
2 : not covered with trees and plants
• a bald mountain top
3 of a tire : having a flat and smooth surface because of age and use
• an old car with bald tires
4 : said or given in a very direct way without extra details or explanations
• She repeated her bald assertion that her son was not guilty of the crime.
• We need more than bald statements; we need evidence and proof.
• the bald facts