hail1
n.
- pellets of frozen rain falling in showers from cumulonimbus clouds.
- a large number of things hurled forcefully through the air:
a hail of bullets.
v.
(
it hails, it is hailing, etc.)
hail falls.
Etymology
OE hagol, hægl (n.), hagalian (v.), of Gmc origin.
hail2
v.
- call out to (someone) to attract attention.
▸signal for (a taxi).
- acclaim enthusiastically as something:
he has been hailed as the new James Dean.
-
(hail from)
have one's home or origins in.
exclam.
archaic expressing greeting or acclaim.
n.
a call to attract attention.
Phrase
- within hail
dated within calling distance.
Derivative
Etymology
ME: from the obs. adj. hail ‘healthy’ (used in greetings and toasts), from ON heill, rel. to hale1 and whole.