hail

UK: /ˈheɪl/ US: /heɪl/ ,(hāl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

hail¹ /heɪl/   v. 

1. to greet or welcome:
   [~ + object] to hail an old friend.
2. [~ + object (+ as + object] )] to approve enthusiastically;
   praise:
   hailed the new child care laws as a big step forward.
3. to call out to, as in order to stop or to attract the attention of:
   [~ + object] to hail a cab.
4. hail from, [ ~ + from + obj;
   not: be + ~-ing + from] to have as one's place of birth or residence:
   hails from Indiana.

interj. 

5. This word is used as a greeting, or to express praise:
   Hail, Caesar!

hail•er, n. [countable]

hail² /heɪl/   n. 

1. Meteorology a shower or storm of pellets of ice more than 1&sfracdenom;5&sfracend; in. (5 mm) in diameter:
   [uncountable] golfball-sized hail.
2. a shower or large number of anything:
   [countable* usually singular] a hail of bullets.

v. 

3. Meteorology to pour down hail:
   [it + ~* (no object)] It hailed all afternoon.
4. to (cause to) fall like hail: [no object]
   Arrows hailed on the troops.
   [~ + object]
   The plane hailed leaflets on the city.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hail¹  (hāl), v.t. 

1. to cheer, salute, or greet;
   welcome.
2. to acclaim;
   approve enthusiastically:
   The crowds hailed the conquerors. They hailed the recent advances in medicine.
3. to call out to in order to stop, attract attention, ask aid, etc.:
   to hail a cab.

v.i. 

4. to call out in order to greet, attract attention, etc.:
   The people on land hailed as we passed in the night.
5. hail from, to have as one's place of birth or residence:
   Nearly everyone here hails from the Midwest.

n. 

6. a shout or call to attract attention:
   They answered the hail of the marooned boaters.
7. a salutation or greeting:
   a cheerful hail.
8. the act of hailing.
9. Idioms within hail, within range of hearing;
   audible:
   The mother kept her children within hail of her voice.

interj. 

10. (used as a salutation, greeting, or acclamation.)

• Old Norse heill; cognate with Old English hǣl. See heal, wassail
• Middle English haile, earlier heilen, derivative of hail health 1150–1200

hail′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. cheer, applaud, honor, exalt, laud, extol.

hail²  (hāl), n. 

1. Meteorology showery precipitation in the form of irregular pellets or balls of ice more than ¹⁄₅ in. (5 mm) in diameter, falling from a cumulonimbus cloud (distinguished from sleet).
2. Meteorology a shower or storm of such precipitation.
3. a shower of anything:
   a hail of bullets.

v.i. 

4. Meteorology to pour down hail (often used impersonally with it as subject):
   It hailed this afternoon.
5. to fall or shower as hail:
   Arrows hailed down on the troops as they advanced.

v.t. 

6. to pour down on as or like hail:
   The plane hailed leaflets on the city.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English hægl, variant of hagol; cognate with German Hagel, Old Norse hagl

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hail / heɪl/ noun

1. small pellets of ice falling from cumulonimbus clouds when there are very strong rising air currents
2. a shower or storm of such pellets
3. words, ideas, etc, directed with force and in great quantity: a hail of abuse

verb

1. (intr; with it as subject) to be the case that hail is falling
2. often with it as subject: to fall or cause to fall as or like hail

Etymology: Old English hægl; related to Old Frisian heil, Old High German hagal hail, Greek kakhlēx pebble

hail / heɪl/ verb (mainly tr)

1. to greet, esp enthusiastically: the crowd hailed the actress with joy
2. to acclaim or acknowledge: they hailed him as their hero
3. to attract the attention of by shouting or gesturing: to hail a taxi, to hail a passing ship
4. (intransitive) followed by from: to be a native (of); originate (in): she hails from India

noun

1. the act or an instance of hailing
2. distance across which one can attract attention (esp in the phrase within hail)

sentence_substitute

1. an exclamation of greeting

Etymology: 12th Century: from Old Norse heill whole; see hale¹, wassail