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Gale
Definitions
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A unisex given name.
- 3 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Alexander County, Illinois.
- 4 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Center Township, Hendricks County, Indiana.
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Upshur County, West Virginia.
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- 6 A number of places in the United States:; A town in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.
- 1 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."
- 2 A shrub, also called sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale), that grows on moors and fens.
- 3 A periodic payment, such as is made of a rent or annuity. archaic
"Gale day - the day on which rent or interest is due."
- 4 a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale wordnet
- 5 An outburst, especially of laughter.
"a gale of laughter"
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- 6 The personal mining plot of a freeminer.
"As a rule the free miners do not work their own 'gales,' but dispose of them to capitalists."
- 7 A light breeze. archaic, literary
"A little gale will soon disperse that cloud."
- 1 To cry; groan; croak. dialectal, intransitive
- 2 To sail, or sail fast.
- 3 To talk. dialectal, intransitive
- 4 To sing; utter with musical modulations. dialectal, transitive
Etymology
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.
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”), both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).
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”), both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).
From Middle English gaile, gawl, gawwyl, gaȝel, gagel, from Old English gagel, gagelle, gagille, gagolle (“gale; sweet gale”), from Proto-West Germanic *gagul, 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”).
From Middle English gavel (“rent; tribute”), from Old English gafol.
See also for "gale"
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