whole gale

American  

noun

Meteorology.

1. a wind of 55–63 miles per hour (24–28 meters per second).

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whole gale British  

noun

1. a wind of force ten on the Beaufort scale

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Etymology

Origin of whole gale

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whole gale

The storm warnings that flew Lake Michigan's length changed that night into "whole gale" warnings.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then I went to sleep, waking again at seven to find it blowing half a gale of wind, which rapidly increased to a whole gale.

From The Last Voyage to India and Australia, in the 'Sunbeam' by Pritchett, R. T. (Robert Taylor)

It was blowing a whole gale of wind from the north-west.

From The Frozen Pirate by Russell, W. Clark (William Clark)

The day was warm enough, but it blew a whole gale of wind; and the noise and the purposeless rude violence of it somehow irritated and depressed me.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 23 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

The Channel was widening into the ocean, with depth enough for seas of oceanic volume, and it was still, as it had been for some hours, blowing a whole gale of wind.

From A Marriage at Sea by Russell, W. Clark (William Clark)