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hail¹

(hāl)

1. Precipitation in the form of spherical or irregular pellets of ice larger than 5 millimeters (0.2 inch) in diameter, usually associated with thunderstorms.

2. Something that falls with the force and quantity of a shower of ice and hard snow: a hail of pebbles; a hail of criticism.

v. hailed, hail·ing, hails

v.intr.

1. To precipitate in pellets of ice and hard snow.

2. To fall like hailstones: Condemnations hailed down on them.

v.tr.

To pour (something) down or forth: They hailed insults at me.

[Middle English, from Old English hægel, hagol.]

hail²

(hāl)

v. hailed, hail·ing, hails

v.tr.

a. To salute or greet.

b. To greet or acclaim enthusiastically: The crowds hailed the boxing champion.

2. To call out or yell in order to catch the attention of: hail a cabdriver.

v.intr.

To signal or call to a passing ship as a greeting or identification.

1. The act of greeting or acclaiming.

2. A shout made to catch someone's attention or to greet.

3. Hailing distance: told me to stay within hail.

interj.

Used to express a greeting or tribute.

Phrasal Verb:

hail from

To come or originate from: She hails from Texas.

[Middle English heilen, from (wæs) hæil, (be) healthy; see WASSAIL.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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