From Middle English galen, from Old English galan (“to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation”), from Proto-Germanic *galaną (“to roop, sing, charm”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout, scream, charm away”). Cognate with Danish gale (“to crow”), Swedish gala (“to crow”), Icelandic gala (“to sing, chant, crow”), Dutch galm (“echo, sound, noise”). Related to yell.
Meanings
(dialectal, intransitive) To cry; groan; croak.
(dialectal, intransitive, of a person) To talk.
(dialectal, transitive) To sing; utter with musical modulations.
From Middle English gale (“a wind, breeze”), possibly from Old English galan, possibly an unknown North Germanic origin, related to Icelandic gola (“a breeze”), Danish gal (“furious, mad”), both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).
Meanings
A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.
With my mother's permission and blessings, I set off exultantly for Bombay, leaving my wife with a baby of a few months. But on arrival there, friends told my brother that the Indian Ocean was rough in June and July, and as this was my first voyage, I should not be allowed to sail until November. Someone also reported that a steamer had just been sunk in a gale. This made my brother uneasy, and he refused to take the risk of allowing me to sail immediately. 1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xii
Many parts of the boat were damaged in the gale.
It's blowing a gale outside.
It's blowing a gale and this holiday destination loses all its appeal in an instant in weather like this. 2026 January 7, 'Mystery Shopper', “Cornish cream - without the jams?”, in RAIL, number 1052, page 48:
An outburst, especially of laughter.
The slightest hint of smugness would have had the nation leaning over our shoulders to blow out the birthday candles with a gale of reproach and disapproval. 1972, International Association of Seed Crushers, Congress [proceedings]:
a gale of laughter
(archaic, literary) A light breeze.
A little gale will soon disperse that cloud. c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
And winds of gentlest gale Arabian odours fanned / From their soft wings. 1671, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC:
no kuling (meteorology: a very strong wind) · eo burasko (meteorology: a very strong wind) · he סְעָרָה (meteorology: a very strong wind) · it brezza (meteorology: a very strong wind) · mi kawaru (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ka გაცინება (outburst of laughter) · bg изблик (outburst of laughter) · pl wicher (meteorology: a very strong wind) · it esplosione (outburst of laughter) · fi naurunpuuska (outburst of laughter) · eo ventego (meteorology: a very strong wind) · vi bão tố (meteorology: a very strong wind) · bg вихър (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ru взрыв (outburst of laughter) · fi myrskyinen tuuli (meteorology: a very strong wind) · pt ventania (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ka ხარხარი (outburst of laughter) · mk бу́ра (meteorology: a very strong wind) · it vento forte (meteorology: a very strong wind) · grc ἀήτης (meteorology: a very strong wind) · gl noada (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ko 강풍 (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ru шторм (meteorology: a very strong wind) · nl storm (meteorology: a very strong wind) · it scoppio (outburst of laughter) · gl galerna (meteorology: a very strong wind) · da kuling (meteorology: a very strong wind) · it ventata (meteorology: a very strong wind) · gl vendaval (meteorology: a very strong wind) · mi paraawa (meteorology: a very strong wind) · sv kuling (meteorology: a very strong wind) · lv auka (meteorology: a very strong wind) · nrf taompette (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ka გრიგალი (meteorology: a very strong wind) · bg взрив (outburst of laughter) · mi pārerarera (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ka ძლიერი ქარი (meteorology: a very strong wind) · cs výbuch smíchu (outburst of laughter) · es ventarrón (meteorology: a very strong wind) · nrf dgêle (meteorology: a very strong wind) · la procella (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ru бу́ря (meteorology: a very strong wind) · sh napadaj (outburst of laughter) · ru при́ступ (outburst of laughter) · es vendaval (meteorology: a very strong wind) · cs vichřice (meteorology: a very strong wind) · pt vendaval (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ru поры́в ве́тра (meteorology: a very strong wind) · pl wybuch (outburst of laughter) · mi āwhā (meteorology: a very strong wind) · nl rukwind (meteorology: a very strong wind) · bg буря (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ga gála (meteorology: a very strong wind) · it folata (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ka ქარიშხალი (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ca ventada (meteorology: a very strong wind) · cmn 強風 /强风 (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ru вспы́шка (outburst of laughter) · pl wichura (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ca vendaval (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ms badai (meteorology: a very strong wind) · wyi boolootò moonmot (meteorology: a very strong wind) · es ventolera (meteorology: a very strong wind) · de Sturm (meteorology: a very strong wind) · it fortunale (meteorology: a very strong wind) · fi puhuri (meteorology: a very strong wind) · mi tūpuhi (meteorology: a very strong wind) · ja 強風 (meteorology: a very strong wind) · fi pyrskähdys (outburst of laughter) · it burrasca (meteorology: a very strong wind) · fr coup de vent (meteorology: a very strong wind)
From Middle English gale (“a wind, breeze”), possibly from Old English galan, possibly an unknown North Germanic origin, related to Icelandic gola (“a breeze”), Danish gal (“furious, mad”), both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).
From Middle English gaile, gawl, gawwyl, gaȝel, gagel, from Old English gagel, gagelle, gagille, gagolle (“gale; sweet gale”), from Proto-West Germanic *gagul, from Proto-Germanic *gagulaz (“gale; sweet-willow”). Cognate with Scots gaul, gall (“bog-myrtle”), Dutch gagel (“wild myrtle”), German Gagel (“myrtle-bush”), Icelandic gaglviður (“sweet-gale; myrtle”).
Meanings
A shrub, also called sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale), that grows on moors and fens.
Translations (36)
fr bois-sent-bon (Myrica gale) · fr piment royal (Myrica gale) · gl frundiño (Myrica gale) · ru воско́вник (Myrica gale) · pt samouco-do-brabante (Myrica gale) · is mjaðarlyng (Myrica gale) · de Gagel (Myrica gale) · fi suomyrtti (Myrica gale) · fr myrte des marais (Myrica gale) · gd roid (Myrica gale) · it mirica dolce (Myrica gale) · sv pors (Myrica gale) · lt pajūrinis sotvaras (Myrica gale) · es mirto de Brabante (Myrica gale) · da porse (Myrica gale) · es mirto de turbera (Myrica gale) · ga raideog (Myrica gale) · non pors (Myrica gale) · is bruggbuski (Myrica gale) · de Gagelstrauch (Myrica gale) · gl frundo (Myrica gale) · it mirto di palude (Myrica gale) · cy gwyrddling (Myrica gale) · ca murta de Brabant (Myrica gale) · nl wilde gagel (Myrica gale) · cy helygen Mair (Myrica gale) · da mosepors (Myrica gale) · fo porsrunnur (Myrica gale) · pt frundinho (Myrica gale) · et harilik porss (Myrica gale) · hu fenyérmirtusz (Myrica gale) · nb pors (Myrica gale) · cy madywydd (Myrica gale) · pl woskownica europejska (Myrica gale) · da pors (Myrica gale) · bg блатиста мирта (Myrica gale)