Middle English Dictionary Entry
hail n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hail n. Also haiel, ail, hale, heli, (error) haþel & haul(e, hawel & (chiefly early) hagol, haȝel, haȝol, hahȝel, haghil. |
| Etymology | OE hægel (Merc. hegel) & hagol. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Hailstones falling or fallen in a storm; ~ reighnesse, ~ shour [OE hagol-scūr], ~ storm; storm of ~, tempest of ~; as (so) thik as ~, as closely massed as falling hailstones; (b) a fall or shower of hailstones; a hailstorm; ~ of stones; also fig.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1117 : Ðises geares..wurdon ormætlica wædera mid þunre & lihtinge & reine & hagole.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)120.103/1 : Wiþ haȝol-hreohnisse to awendenne.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11975 : Haȝel [Otho: hawel] & ræin þer aræs.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)20504 : Þa halden hit [?read: heo] to sæ Swa hahȝel [Otho: hawel] deh from wolcne.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1002 : Snou & haȝel [vr. hawel] hom is genge.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3039 : Swilc hail was her.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3066 : And ðat ail ða bileaf sal al ben numen.
- ?c1335(a1300) Cokaygne (Hrl 913)39 : Þer nis dunnir, slete, no hawle.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)17.14 : Þe cloudes passeden in hys siȝt to-fore þe shininge, hail and coles of fur.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.9.18 : I schall reyne to morn..full mych haul [vr. hawle; WB(2): hail].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.211 : Scorpio bryngeþ haile.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9149 : Frost ne snogh, hayle ne reyne, Of colde ne hete, felte þey no peyne.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6021 : Haile and fir was menged samen.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.161 : Ne noither hete, ne haille [C: hail, haþel], ne non helle pouke.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)46/10 : If þer come an ailestorm.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.22 : This peple distroied were serteyn With thonder dent and with haiel and reyn.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)371 : Þare come slike stormes of hayl and rayn.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)624 : And sone þare wex, withowten fayle, Wind and thonor and rayn and haile.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)3258 : Þai er dungen þare..with stormes of hayle, sharpe and kene.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)655 : Strokes..wente as thikke as hayl.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)598 : Þe fals Jewes in þe felde fallen so þicke As hail froward heuen.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.69 : There was suche a tempeste of hayle that peple were gladde to fynde eny socoure.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.26 : Graceles gostis..That neuere had har[m]esse ne hayle-schouris.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)17.14 : Bifore the shynynge in his syght clowdes passid, haghil and coles of fire.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)214 : Ther myght ye se oon falle deed after a-nothir as thikke as haile.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)3047 : So fell flyght was of flonys..þat all þe Ayre blyndyd; Huger to byhalde þen þe hayle-stormes.
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)121.103/2 : Wyrt ricinum, ic bidde, þat þu ætsi minum sangun & þu awende haȝolas & liȝræceas.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6019 : Þe seuend on-sand..Was a weder ful selcut snell, A thonor wit an haile sua kene Þat [etc.].
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)1243 : Afftyr the wedyr, Reynes, haylles, and shours.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)967 : Cloudes, mystes, and tempestes, Snowes, hayles, reynes, wyndes.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)3.261 : An haile of stones [L grando saxeus] descendenge from the clowdes did bete þe erthe like to stones.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)93 : Þei þat..tenden to wiche falsnes in hailes or tempestis.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)124/22 : Ne frostes of mistrust, ne hayles of jelousy right litel might have, in harming of suche springes.
2.
(a) Hail as a substance; ston of ~; (b) a hailstone; (c) ~ ston [OE hagol-stān], a hailstone; as thik as the (ani) ~, as closely massed as falling hailstones.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)610 : Ȝif it is þoruȝ-out cold, þat huy alle i-frozen beo, Þanne it is haul [vr. hawel] puyr.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.296 : Into hail it [rain] torneth ofte.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.465 : For also siker as coold engendreth hayl A likerous mouth moste han a likerous tayl.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)76a/a : Watur I molte of snowe and of hawel is erþy.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)138a/b-b/a : Hayle is fresinge of dropis of rayne by strenge of cooldnesse and of wynde in þe aier..And haile is smal and rounde and comeþ out of þe hieste places.
- c1425 *Wycl.Concord.(Roy 17.B.1)64a : Greet hail as a talent, apoc. sixtenþe cap.
- a1475 Prk.Weather & Moon in NM 58 (Brog 2.1)88 : Þe mater of þe hayle is a wateri vapour, bi þe accion of þe son taken up into þe mydil part of þe eyer, unto a cloude þer congeled.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)198/2 : God keste ham dovne wyth grete Stonys of hawle.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Wisd.5.23 : Fro the stony wratheful hailes [WB(2): hailstones; L grandines] shul ben sent.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)2 : In this same yere..there ffylle grete hayles.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.261 : Haile stoones [vr. hawelstones] fel doun of þe clowdes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)201a/b : Gelacia is a white precious stoon yschape as an hayl stoon.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)252/27 : Grando is as miche to seie as an hail stoon..& þus comeþ in þe iȝe liddis.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Wisd.5.23 : Fulle hailstones schulen be sent fro a stony wreththe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)11b/b : Þe first [humor] is cristalline sette in þe middes of þe eie, of colour of cristal, of fourme of an haile stone.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)2 : Ther kome adovne with the Reyne out of the eyre hayle-Stones ffoure Squayre, as grete as eny eyren.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)1191 : He..Made þe Sarazenes hede-bones Hoppe als dose hayle-stones Abowtte one þe gres.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2202 : The bowe-man, and eke the arblasters..shotte quarelles, and eke flone, As thycke as the hayle-stone [vrr. hawell-stone, hawle-stone].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3047 : So fell fliȝt was of flanys..þat all þe aire blindid; Hogere on to be-hald þan of haile-stanes.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)1771 : Than was the seuynt of frost [and rayn] with hale stons that dyd them str[yv]e.
- c1450 Siege Troy(1) (ArmsAr 22)1345 : Achelles..Did as hys moder hym kende..In a flod of hely-stonys.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)p.187 : Sharpe quarell and eke ffloon, As þyke as ony hayle ston.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)641 : Hedys hopped vndur hors fete As hayle stones done in þe strete.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)287 : A bawdryk of isykles about hys nek gay He had, and aboue an hygh on hys hede, Cowchyd with hayle stonys, he weryd a crowne of leede.
3.
Associated quotations
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)8a/b : Of þe sekenessis of þe parties of þe eyȝen..of lupia, ordeolo, of hayle [*Ch.(1) & L: grandine], of sulac and sernac.
4.
In place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.222].
Associated quotations
- (1281) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)18 : Hagheledon.
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 1091 : Ric. de Haghelemere.
- (1329) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)18 : Hayeldoune.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. hail.