wail´er

wail´er
wail «wayl», verb, noun.
–v.i.
1. to cry long and loud because of grief or pain: »

The baby wailed.

2. to make a mournful or shrill sound: »

The wind wailed around the old house. The sirens were wailing for a total blackout (Graham Greene).

3. to lament; mourn.
4. to cry out piteously (for): »

a child wailing for its mother.

–v.t.
1. to grieve for or because of; bewail.
2. to utter (as a wailing cry or bad news).
–n.
1. a) a long cry of grief or pain: »

Newborn babies begin their life with a wail.

b) a sound like such a cry: »

the wail of a hungry coyote, the wail of a siren.

2. any prolonged, bitter complaining; whine.
3. the act of wailing: »

Wail shook Earl Walter's house; His true wife shed no tear (Elizabeth Barrett Browning).

╂[< Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic v < vwoe). See related etym. at woe. (Cf. ↑woe)]
–wail´er, noun.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • wail — [weıl] v [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: From a Scandinavian language] 1.) [T] to say something in a loud, sad, and complaining way ▪ But what shall I do? Bernard wailed. 2.) to cry out with a long high sound, especially because you are very sad or in… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Wail — Wail, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wailed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wailing}.] [OE. wailen, weilen, probably fr. Icel. v[ae]la; cf. Icel. v[ae], vei, woe, and E. wayment, also OE. wai, wei, woe. Cf. {Woe}.] To lament; to bewail; to grieve over; as, to wail one… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wail — Wail, v. i. To express sorrow audibly; to make mournful outcry; to weep. [1913 Webster] Therefore I will wail and howl. Micah i. 8. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wail — Wail, n. Loud weeping; violent lamentation; wailing. The wail of the forest. Longfellow. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wail — Wail, v. t. [Cf. Icel. val choice, velja to choose, akin to Goth. waljan, G. w[ a]hlen.] To choose; to select. [Obs.] Wailed wine and meats. Henryson. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wail — País …   Wikipedia Español

  • wail — [ weıl ] verb 1. ) intransitive or transitive to shout or cry with a long high sound to show that you are in pain or very sad: The baby wailed all night. I m so lonely, wailed Alice. 2. ) intransitive to make a long high sound: wailing sirens ╾… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • wail — ► NOUN 1) a prolonged high pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger. 2) a sound resembling this. ► VERB ▪ give or utter a wail. DERIVATIVES wailer noun. ORIGIN Old Norse, related to WOE(Cf. ↑ …   English terms dictionary

  • wail — [wāl] vi. [ME wailen < ON væla, to lament < væ, WOE] 1. to express grief or pain by long, loud cries 2. to make a plaintive, sad, crying sound [the wind wailing in the trees] 3. Jazz Slang to play in an intense or inspired manner vt.… …   English World dictionary

  • wail — index outcry, plaint Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

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