gale
verbnounverbnounnouncommon in dialogue
- //ɡeɪl//
To cry; groan; croak.
verb
- 1
To cry; groan; croak.
- 2
To talk.
- 3
To sing; utter with musical modulations.
Etymology
From Middle English galen, from Old English galan (“to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation”), from Proto-Germanic *galaną (“to roop, sing, charm”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout, scream, charm away”). Cognate with Danish gale (“to crow”), Swedish gala (“to crow”), Icelandic gala (“to sing, chant, crow”), Dutch galm (“echo, sound, noise”). Related to yell.
noun
- 1
A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.
It's blowing a gale outside.
Many parts of the boat were damaged in the gale.
It's blowing a gale and this holiday destination loses all its appeal in an instant in weather like this.
- 2
An outburst, especially of laughter.
a gale of laughter
The slightest hint of smugness would have had the nation leaning over our shoulders to blow out the birthday candles with a gale of reproach and disapproval.
- 3
archaicA light breeze.
A little gale will soon disperse that cloud.
And winds of gentlest gale Arabian odours fanned / From their soft wings.
Etymology
From Middle English gale (“a wind, breeze”), possibly from Old English galan, possibly an unknown North Germanic origin, related to Icelandic gola (“a breeze”), Danish gal (“furious, mad”), both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).
verb
- 1
To sail, or sail fast.
noun
- 1
A shrub, also called sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale), that grows on moors and fens.
Etymology
From Middle English gaile, gawl, gawwyl, gaȝel, gagel, from Old English gagel, gagelle, gagille, gagolle (“gale; sweet gale”), from Proto-West Germanic *gagul, from Proto-Germanic *gagulaz (“gale; sweet-willow”). Cognate with Scots gaul, gall (“bog-myrtle”), Dutch gagel (“wild myrtle”), German Gagel (“myrtle-bush”), Icelandic gaglviður (“sweet-gale; myrtle”).
noun
- 1
archaicA periodic payment, such as is made of a rent or annuity.
Gale day - the day on which rent or interest is due.
- 2
The personal mining plot of a freeminer.
As a rule the free miners do not work their own 'gales,' but dispose of them to capitalists.
Etymology
From Middle English gavel (“rent; tribute”), from Old English gafol.
Forms
- plural
- gales
- past tense
- galed, gole
- past participle
- galed, gole, galen
- present participle
- galing
- third person singular
- gales