[wail] vb [ME, of Scand origin; akin to ON vaela, vala to wail; akin to ON vei woe--more at woe] vi (14c) 1: to express sorrow audibly: lament
2: to make a sound suggestive of a mournful cry
3: to express dissatisfaction plaintively: complain ~ vt, archaic: bewail -- wail.er n
[2]wail n (15c) 1: the act or practice of wailing: loud lamentation
2. a: a usu. prolonged cry or sound expressing grief or pain b: a sound suggestive of wailing "the ~ of an air-raid siren" c: a querulous expression of grievance: complaint