Gale

Pronunciation

• IPA: /É¡eɪl/
• Rhymes: -eɪl
• Homophones: Gail

From Middle English galen, from Old English galan ("to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation"), from Proto-Germanic *galanÄ… ("to roop, sing, charm"), from Proto-Indo-European *gÊ°ol-, *gÊ°el- ("to shout, scream, charm away"). Cognate with Danish gale ("to crow"), Swedish gala ("to crow"), Icelandic gala ("to sing, chant, crow"), Dutch galm ("sound, noise"). Related to yell.

Full definition of gale

Verb

1. (intransitive, now chiefly dialectal) To sing; charm; enchant.
• Court of LoveCan he cry and gale.
2. (intransitive, now chiefly dialectal) To cry; groan; croak.
3. (intransitive, of a person, now chiefly dialectal) To talk.
4. (intransitive, of a bird, Scotland) To call.
5. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal) To sing; utter with musical modulations.

From Middle English gale ("a wind, breeze"), probably of origin, related to Icelandic gola ("a breeze"), Danish gal ("furious, mad"),

Etymology of gale

both from Old Norse gala ("to sing").

Noun

1. (meteorology) A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.
2. An outburst, especially of laughter.a gale of laughter
3. (archaic) A light breeze.
• ShakespeareA little gale will soon disperse that cloud.
• MiltonAnd winds of gentlest gale Arabian odours fanned
  From their soft wings.
4. (obsolete) A song or story.

Coordinate terms

• (meteorology) breeze, hurricane, storm

Verb

1. (nautical) To sail, or sail fast.

Middle English gail, from Old English gagel

Noun

Origin 4