I. ˈhāl esp before pause or consonant -āəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English hail, hagel, hawel, from Old English hægl, hagol; akin to Old High German hagal hail, Old Norse hagl, Runic Gothic haal (name of a rune), Greek kachlēx pebble
1.
a. : a precipitation in the form of small balls or lumps usually consisting of concentric layers of clear ice and compact snow produced by the oscillation of raindrops within cumulonimbus clouds or by the freezing of raindrops from nimbus clouds
b. archaic : a shower of hail : hailstorm
a very considerable portion of this country has been desolated by a hail — Thomas Jefferson
2. : something that gives the effect of falling hail
a hail of shot kicked up river sand — F.B.Gipson
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English haylen, hawelen, from Old English hagalian, from hagol, n.
1. : to precipitate hail
it rained and hailed
2. : to pour down like hail : strike in the manner of hail
flak hails upon the plane — Science Year Book
III. interjection
Etymology: Middle English hail, heil, from Old Norse heill, from heill, adjective, healthy — more at whole
1. — used to express acclamation
hail to the chief — Sir Walter Scott
hail , King of the Jews — Mk 15:18 (Revised Standard Version)
2. archaic — used as a salutation
all hail , sweet madam, and fair time of day — Shakespeare
good morrow to you both. Hail to your grace — Shakespeare
3. : hurrah — used to express good feeling or enthusiasm
hail, hail, the gang's all here
IV. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English hailen, heilen from hail, heil, interjection
transitive verb
1.
a. : salute , greet , accost
hailed the report with undisguised satisfaction — J.B.Matthews
hailed him and gave him her hand — P.B.Kyne
b. : to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim
hail him as a hero
hail the advances audio has made — R.D.Darrell
2. : to greet or summon by calling to
hail a passing ship
hail a taxi
3. chiefly Scotland : to reach (the goal) especially in a game of shinny
intransitive verb
: to call out ; especially : to call a greeting to a passing ship
the ship hailed as we passed
•
- hail from
V. noun
( -s )
1. : an exclamation of greeting : salutation
he heard a hail and his own name called — George Meredith
specifically : a shout of acclamation
greeted the emperor with a hail
2. : a calling to attract attention : act of hailing
after such hail , the windward yacht shall at once allow the leeward yacht room to tack — Guy Pennant
3. chiefly Scotland
a. : the cry uttered when a goal is struck in a game (as shinny)
b. : goal
defeated by four hails
•
- within hail
VI.
variant of hale