gale
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
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.
Verb
gale (third-person singular simple present gales, present participle galing, simple past galed or gole, past participle galed or galen)
- (intransitive, now chiefly dialectal) To cry; groan; croak.
- (intransitive, of a person, now chiefly dialectal) To talk.
- (transitive, now chiefly dialectal) To sing; utter with musical modulations.
Etymology 2
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”),[1] both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).
Noun
gale (plural gales)
- (meteorology) 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.
- 1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xii:
- With my mother's permission and blessings, I set off exultantly for Bombay, leaving my wife with a baby of a few months. But on arrival there, friends told my brother that the Indian Ocean was rough in June and July, and as this was my first voyage, I should not be allowed to sail until November. Someone also reported that a steamer had just been sunk in a gale. This made my brother uneasy, and he refused to take the risk of allowing me to sail immediately.
- An outburst, especially of laughter.
- a gale of laughter
- 1972, International Association of Seed Crushers, Congress [proceedings]:
- 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.
- (literary, archaic) A light breeze.
- c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
- A little gale will soon disperse that cloud.
- 1671, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC:
- And winds of gentlest gale Arabian odours fanned / From their soft wings.
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Translations
meteorology: a very strong wind
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outburst of laughter
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also
Verb
gale (third-person singular simple present gales, present participle galing, simple past and past participle galed)
Etymology 3
From Middle English gaile, gawl, gawwyl, gaȝel, gagel, from Old English gagel, gagelle, gagille, gagolle (“gale; sweet gale”), 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
gale
- A shrub, also called sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale), that grows on moors and fens.
Translations
Myrica gale
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Etymology 4
From Middle English gavel (“rent; tribute”), from Old English gafol.
Noun
gale (plural gales)
References
- “gale”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Anagrams
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