hail

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   many objects thrown forcefully through the air

   a hail of pebbles

2. 2
   verb

   praise vociferously

   The critics hailed the young pianist as a new Rubinstein

3. 3
   verb

   call for

   hail a cab

4. 4
   verb

   to be a native of

   They hail from Kalamazoo.

5. 5
   verb

   precipitate as small ice particles

   It hailed for an hour

6. 6
   noun

   A rapid, intense barrage by a large number of projectiles or other objects.

   Their lack of good intelligence also meant that they vastly overestimated the size of their foes for far too long, hails of armor-piercing shells doing comparatively little damage compared to the high explosive that they should have been using.

7. 7
   verb

   To have hailstones fall from the sky.

   They say it's going to hail tomorrow.

8. 8
   verb

   To send or release hail.

   The cloud would hail down furiously within a few minutes.

Etymology

From Middle English hayle, haile, hail, hawel, haghil, haȝel, from Old English hæġl, hæġel, hagol (“hail”), from Proto-West Germanic *hagl, from Proto-Germanic *haglaz, of uncertain origin. Either from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰlos (“pebble”); or alternatively from *ḱoḱló-, a reduplication of *ḱel- (“cold”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hail (“hail”), West Frisian heil (“hail”), Dutch hagel (“hail”), Low German Hagel (“hail”), German Hagel (“hail”), Danish hagl (“hail”), Swedish hagel (“hail”), Icelandic hagl (“hail”). Compare also Old Norse héla (“frost”). Doublet of haglaz, if the second et…