(archaic or poetic) An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting.
noun
(countable, by extension) A rapid, intense barrage by a large number of projectiles or other objects.
(meteorology, countable) An occurrence of this type of precipitation; a hailstorm.
(meteorology, uncountable) Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.
verb
(impersonal) Of hail, to fall from the sky.
(intransitive) To send or release hail.
(transitive) To call out loudly in order to gain the attention of.
(transitive) To greet; give salutation to; salute.
(transitive) To name; to designate; to call.
(transitive) To signal in order to initiate communication with.
(transitive, by extension, UK, Australia) To indicate, from a designated stop or otherwise, to the driver of a public transport vehicle that one wishes to board and travel on the vehicle, usually using hand signals such as waving.
