Gales

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Very strong or turbulent air currents often linked to storms or rough seas, and loud outbursts of laughter or emotion occurring suddenly
2. Powerful winds that blow with great force, commonly occurring in storms ; bursts of loud and intense laughter or emotional expression happening abruptly
3. Intensely forceful air movements typically associated with bad weather ; sudden eruptions of laughter or strong feelings expressed vocally

Etymology: The wind sense of "gale" and the verb "to sing" share a root. In Old English, "galan" meant to sing, chant, enchant or cry out, and it was related to the verb "yell". Old Norse "gala", also "to sing", gave Middle English a noun for a breeze or wind, probably through North Germanic influence, so a wind was once named after the noise of singing or crying out. A separate Old English word, "gagel", meant sweet gale, a fragrant bog shrub, and it too became a source of "gale" in English, which is why the word has several unrelated histories tangled together. "Gales" is the plural of "gale", so it refers to several strong winds or bursts. The sudden outburst sense of laughter or emotion grew from the same idea of a loud cry or noise that the older verb carried.

Synonyms: winds, storms, tempests