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Squall

//ˈskwɔːl// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A sudden storm, as found in a squall line. often

    "Luckily she wasn’t there any more, no one was, when he returned from the Caribbean carnival damp-hatted and soaked through after being caught unprepared by a squall of hard, hot rain."

  2. 2
    sudden violent winds; often accompanied by precipitation wordnet
  3. 3
    A squall line, multicell line, or part of a squall line.
  4. 4
    A loud cry or wail.

    "But the third Emir, now seeing himself all alone on the quarter-deck, seems to feel relieved from some curious restraint; for, tipping all sorts of knowing winks in all sorts of directions, and kicking off his shoes, he strikes into a sharp but noiseless squall of a hornpipe right over the Grand Turk’s head; and then, by a dexterous sleight, pitching his cap up into the mizentop for a shelf, he goes down rollicking so far at least as he remains visible from the deck, reversing all other processions, by bringing up the rear with music."

Verb
  1. 1
    To cry or wail loudly.

    "Squalling was the word for it, Pew's anger rose so high at these objections; till at last, his passion completely taking the upper hand, he struck at them right and left in his blindness, and his stick sounded heavily on more than one."

  2. 2
    utter a sudden loud cry wordnet
  3. 3
    To fall suddenly and forcefully, as if a squall.

    "[…] rain squalled fretfully against the schoolhouse roof. Although it had stopped by the time the afternoon recess was due, Miss Willie decided that it was too cold and raw for the children to be out a full half hour, so she sent them[…]"

  4. 4
    make high-pitched, whiney noises wordnet
  5. 5
    blow in a squall wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English *squalen and squelen (“to cry, scream, squall”), from Old Norse skvala (“to cry out”), probably ultimately imitative with influence from squeal and bawl. Cognate with Swedish skvala (“to gush, pour down”), Norwegian skval (“sudden rush of water”). The noun is probably from the verb.

Etymology 2

From Middle English *squalen and squelen (“to cry, scream, squall”), from Old Norse skvala (“to cry out”), probably ultimately imitative with influence from squeal and bawl. Cognate with Swedish skvala (“to gush, pour down”), Norwegian skval (“sudden rush of water”). The noun is probably from the verb.

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