hail

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hail1 / hāl/ • n. pellets of frozen rain that fall in showers from cumulonimbus clouds. ∎  [in sing.] a large number of things hurled forcefully through the air, esp. with intent to harm: a hail of bullets.• v. [intr.] (it hails, it is hailing, etc.) hail falls: it hailed so hard we had to stop.hail2 • v. 1. [tr.] call out to (someone) to attract attention: the crew hailed a fishing boat. ∎  signal (an approaching taxicab) to stop: she raised her hand to hail a cab. 2. [tr.] (often be hailed) acclaim enthusiastically as being a specified thing: he has been hailed as the new James Dean. 3. [intr.] (hail from) have one's home or origins in (a place): he hails from Pittsburgh.• interj. archaic expressing greeting or acclaim: hail, Caesar!• n. a shout or call used to attract attention.PHRASES: within hail (or within hailing distance) at a distance within which someone may be called to; within earshot.DERIVATIVES: hail·er n.

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