hail

hail

hail¹ [hāl]

vt.

[ME hailen, to salute, greet < hail, heil < ON heill, whole, sound, akin to OE hal (see HALE¹, WHOLE): used as a salutation]

1. to welcome, greet, etc. with or as with cheers; acclaim

2. to name by way of tribute; salute as [they hailed him their leader]

3. to call out to or signal to, as in summoning or greeting [to hail a taxi]

n.

1. the act of hailing or greeting

2. the distance that a shout will carry [within hail]

interj.

used to signify tribute, greeting, etc.

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hail fellow well met

very sociable or friendly to everyone, esp. in a superficial manner: also hail fellow or hail-fellow

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hail from

to be from; come from (one's birthplace or established residence)

hailer

n.

hail² [hāl]

n.

[ME haile < OE hægel, var. of hagol, akin to Ger hagel < IE base * kaghlo-, small pebble > Gr kachlēx]

1. rounded pieces of ice that are larger than 5 mm (.2 in) and sometimes fall during thunderstorms; frozen raindrops; hailstones: see SLEET

2. a falling, showering, etc. of hail, or in the manner of hail [a hail of bullets]

vi.

[ME hailen < OE hagalian]

to drop or pour down hail: usually in an impersonal construction [it is hailing]

vt.

to shower, hurl, pour, etc. violently in the manner of hail: often with on or upon [to hail curses on someone]