gale

¹ American  

[geyl] / geɪl /

noun

1. a very strong wind.

2. Meteorology. a wind of 32–63 miles per hour (14–28 meters per second).

3. a noisy outburst.

   a gale of laughter filled the room.

   Synonyms:

   gust, fit, outbreak, eruption, burst

4. Archaic. a gentle breeze.

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gale ² American  

[geyl] / geɪl /

noun

1. sweet gale.

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Gale ³ American  

[geyl] / geɪl /

noun

1. Zona 1874–1938, U.S. novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and poet.

2. a female or male given name.

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gale ¹ British  

/ ɡeɪl /

noun

1. a strong wind, specifically one of force seven to ten on the Beaufort scale or from 45 to 90 kilometres per hour

2. (often plural) a loud outburst, esp of laughter

3. archaic a gentle breeze

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gale ² British  

/ ɡeɪl /

noun

1. short for sweet gale

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Etymology

Origin of gale¹

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

Origin of gale²

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

Example Sentences

By Wednesday, the UK will be dominated by cold, brisk north to north-west winds, reaching gale force in places.

From BBC

On Wednesday, gales were reported widely in Scotland with the strongest gusts affecting the islands.

From BBC

A deepening area of low pressure between Scotland and Iceland on Wednesday is bringing strong westerly winds, gales and even touching severe gales.

From BBC

At the weekend, a potentially nasty area of low pressure may sweep across the country, with gales most likely over Scotland.

From BBC

The force of Magic’s determination was like a hurricane gale.

From Literature

Related Words

• cyclone
• hurricane
• monsoon
• squall
• tornado
• wind
• windstorm