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• gale
  gale

  noun

  a very strong wind.
• Gale
  Gale

  noun

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

gale

¹ American  

[gayl] / 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  

[gayl] / geɪl /

noun

1. sweet gale.

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Gale ³ American  

[gayl] / 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

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Explanation

If there’s a gale coming your way, you better hold onto your new hat and your little dog, Toto, too, because this is an extremely strong wind. The word gale possibly originates from the Old Norse word galinn, which means “mad”, “frantic,” or “bewitched.” Weather forecasters sometimes use the term “gale-force winds” to describe conditions that aren’t quite as extreme as hurricanes or tropical storms, but probably fierce enough to snap your kite in half. Gale can also refer to other kinds of strong outbursts. For example, if someone erupts into gales of laughter, it means her friend probably said something very funny.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gale Gale

“And sweetest in the gale is heard; and sore must be the storm that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

"Conditions on Ishigaki gale force with some overnight gusts to typhoon strength."

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

Once unfurled, it holds up in anything short of a gale.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025

For a moment, I felt myself transported, like a gale off Lake Michigan had carried us all back through time.

From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2025

The gale threatened to blow the tent apart.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

City Council Member Gale Brewer, who is behind a large part of the proposed measures, said the city received 172 complaints in 2025 related to pedicabs.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

It will pay “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman and producers Glen Mazzara, David Alpert, Charles Eglee and Gale Anne Hurd $85 million by Sept. 18 and another $35 million by Jan. 31.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

City council member Gale Brewer said she and some other council members supported the pied-à-terre tax, but pointed to "challenges" with its implementation.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

The tornado that transported Dorothy Gale from dusty Kansas to vibrant Oz might have swept up the village idiot instead.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Gale winds blew snow from the peaks of Elephant Island and drifted it high against the sides of the hut.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

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