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gale

1
[ geyl ]
/ geɪl /
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noun
a very strong wind.
Meteorology. a wind of 32–63 miles per hour (14–28 meters per second).
a noisy outburst: a gale of laughter filled the room.
Archaic. a gentle breeze.
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Origin of gale

1
First recorded in 1540–50; perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Norwegian dialect geil “uproar, unrest, boiling”

Other definitions for gale (2 of 3)

gale2
[ geyl ]
/ geɪl /

noun

Origin of gale

2
before 1000; Middle English gail,Old English gagel; cognate with German Gagel

Other definitions for gale (3 of 3)

Gale
[ geyl ]
/ geɪl /

noun
Zo·na [zoh-nuh], /ˈzoʊ nə/, 1874–1938, U.S. novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and poet.
a female or male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gale in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gale (1 of 2)

gale1
/ (ɡeɪl) /

noun
a strong wind, specifically one of force seven to ten on the Beaufort scale or from 45 to 90 kilometres per hour
(often plural) a loud outburst, esp of laughter
archaic, poetic a gentle breeze

Word Origin for gale

C16: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for gale (2 of 2)

gale2
/ (ɡeɪl) /

noun
short for sweet gale

Word Origin for gale

Old English gagel; related to Middle Low German gagel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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