wail
[ weyl ]
/ weɪl /
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verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of wail
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English weile (verb and noun), perhaps derivative of Old English weilāwei wellaway; compare Old English wǣlan “to torment,” Old Norse wǣla “to wail”
OTHER WORDS FROM wail
wail·er, nounun·wailed, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wail
wail , whaleDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use wail in a sentence
He threatened the wailer with his fist, and the black cowered down, glaring at him with sullen eyes.
Adventure|Jack LondonMarie took the poor wailer from her with a divine motion and carried it to the hearth.
The Lady of Fort St. John|Mary Hartwell CatherwoodThen follows the story: Luisa, the Wailer, in life was a woman of the people, very beautiful.
Legends of the City of Mexico|Thomas A. JanvierAfter weeping over her dead body he sets out in search of a Wailer.
Russian Fairy Tales|W. R. S. Ralston
British Dictionary definitions for wail
wail
/ (weɪl) /
verb
(intr) to utter a prolonged high-pitched cry, as of grief or misery
(intr) to make a sound resembling such a crythe wind wailed in the trees
(tr) to lament, esp with mournful sounds
noun
a prolonged high-pitched mournful cry or sound
Derived forms of wail
wailer, nounwailful, adjectivewailfully, adverbWord Origin for wail
C14: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse vǣla to wail, Old English wā woe
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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