n. 1. Outrageous insolence; effrontery: After borrowing my car, he had the gall to complain about its seats. 2. a. Bitterness of feeling; rancor. b. Something bitter to endure: the gall of defeat. 3. See bile. [Middle English galle, gallbladder, bile, courage, from Old English gealla, galla, bile; see ghel-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.