WAIL


Meaning of WAIL in English

(~s, ~ing, ~ed)

1.

If someone ~s, they make long, loud, high-pitched cries which express sorrow or pain.

The women began to ~ in mourning.

...a mother ~ing for her lost child.

VERB: V, V for n

Wail is also a noun.

Wails of grief were heard as visitors filed past the site of the disaster.

N-COUNT: oft N of n

2.

If you ~ something, you say it in a loud, high-pitched voice that shows that you are unhappy or in pain.

‘Now look what you’ve done!’ Shirley ~ed...

Primrose, stupefied by tiredness, began to ~ that she was hungry.

VERB: V with quote, V that, also V about n

3.

If something such as a siren or an alarm ~s, it makes a long, loud, high-pitched sound.

Police cars, their sirens ~ing, accompanied the lorries...

VERB: V

Wail is also a noun.

The ~ of the bagpipe could be heard in the distance.

N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n

~ing

Our artillery opened up and we heard a fearful ~ing and screeching.

N-UNCOUNT

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .