Definition

1. Noun:

   • Precipitation of ice pellets: Small, hard balls of ice that fall from the sky during some thunderstorms.
   • A large number of things thrown or sent forcefully: A rapid, dense succession of similar things, often unpleasant.

2. Verb:

   • (It) precipitates as hail: Used with "it" as the subject to describe the weather phenomenon of hail falling.
   • To greet or welcome enthusiastically: To call out to or acknowledge someone, especially publicly and with approval.
   • To call for or signal to stop: To attract the attention of, typically a vehicle like a taxi.
   • To originate or come from: To have one's birthplace or background in a specific place.
   • To praise publicly and enthusiastically: To acclaim or celebrate someone or something.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The sudden hail damaged the car's windshield.
  • The speaker faced a hail of criticism from the audience.

• Verb:

  • Look at the sky! I think it's going to hail.
  • Fans gathered to hail the returning champion.
  • She stepped to the curb to hail a taxi.
  • He hails from a small town in the Midwest.
  • The new policy was hailed as a major breakthrough.

Advanced Usage

• "Within hail": Within calling distance; close enough to be heard.

  • The boat was still within hail, so we could shout instructions.

• "Hail-fellow-well-met" (idiomatic adjective): Describes a person who is superficially friendly and hearty.

  • His hail-fellow-well-met manner didn't convince everyone of his sincerity.

Variants and Related Words

• Hailstone (n): A single pellet of hail.
  • A large hailstone cracked the window.

Synonyms

• Noun (ice): Ice pellets, frozen rain.
• Noun (volley): Barrage, volley, shower, torrent.
• Verb (greet): Acclaim, salute, applaud, cheer.
• Verb (call): Summon, flag down, signal.
• Verb (originate): Come from, originate from, be from.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hail down (upon) : To fall or be directed forcefully and in great quantity.
  • Protesters hailed down insults upon the politician.

Related Idioms

• "Hail Mary" (American Football): A very long, desperate pass made at the end of a game. More generally, a desperate last attempt.

  • With only seconds left, the quarterback threw a Hail Mary pass.

• "Hail-fellow-well-met": (See Advanced Usage).

Noun

1. enthusiastic greeting
2. many objects thrown forcefully through the air
   • a hail of pebbles
   • a hail of bullets
3. precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents

Verb

1. precipitate as small ice particles
   • It hailed for an hour
2. greet enthusiastically or joyfully
3. call for
   • hail a cab
4. be a native of
   • She hails from Kalamazoo
5. praise vociferously
   • The critics hailed the young pianist as a new Rubinstein