gale /ɡeɪl/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Perhaps from Norwegian galen 'bad' ]
1 . a very strong wind:
a severe gale.
it’s blowing a gale British English (=it’s very windy)
2 . a gale/gales of laughter a sudden loud sound of laughter:
The bar erupted into gales of laughter.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a fierce gale (=a very strong wind)
The tree was blown down during a fierce gale in 1987.
▪ a howling gale (=one that makes a lot of noise)
The ship was drifting towards the shore in a howling gale.
▪ a severe/strong gale
Severe gales disrupted road and rail travel throughout Britain.
■ gale + NOUN
▪ gale force (=a measurement showing that a wind is extremely strong)
The winds had increased to gale force.
■ verbs
▪ a gale blows
It was a grey winter’s day with an Atlantic gale blowing.
▪ it’s blowing a gale British English (=the wind is blowing very strongly)
It was blowing a gale last night.
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THESAURUS
■ a strong wind
▪ gale a very strong wind:
The ship was blown off course in a severe gale.
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Howling gales and torrential rain continued throughout the night.
▪ hurricane a storm that has very strong fast winds and that moves over water – used about storms in the North Atlantic Ocean:
The hurricane devastated Florida and killed at least 40 people.
▪ typhoon a violent tropical storm – used about storms in the Western Pacific Ocean:
A typhoon has hit the Philippines, lifting roofs off houses and uprooting trees.
▪ tornado ( also twister American English informal ) a violent storm with strong winds that spin very quickly in a circle, often forming a cloud that is narrower at the bottom than the top:
The town was hit by a tornado that damaged several homes.
▪ cyclone a violent tropical storm with strong winds that spin in a circle:
A devastating cyclone struck Bangladesh in April that year.
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This cyclone was traveling at speeds in excess of 21 miles per hour.