What is the difference between hail and rain?
hail | rain |
Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.
(impersonal) Said of the weather when hail is falling.
to send or release hail
to greet; give salutation to; salute.
To name; to designate; to call.
* Milton
to call out loudly in order to gain the attention of
An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting.
* Shakespeare
Condensed water falling from a cloud.
(figuratively) Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops.
(figuratively) An instance of particles or larger pieces of matter moving or falling through air.
(impersonal) To have rain fall from the sky.
To fall as or like rain.
* Shakespeare
To fall in large quantities.
To issue (something) in large quantities.
In impersonal terms the difference between hail and rain
is that hail is said of the weather when hail is falling while rain is to have rain fall from the sky.In transitive terms the difference between hail and rain
is that hail is to call out loudly in order to gain the attention of while rain is to issue (something) in large quantities.As an adjective hail
is healthy, whole, safe.As an interjection hail
is an exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting.hail
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) haile, hail, from (etyl) ). Root-cognates outside of Germanic include (etyl) .Noun
(-)Derived terms
* hailstone * hail storm / hailstorm * hail shaft / hailshaftVerb
(en verb)- They say it's going to hail tomorrow.
- The cloud would hail down furiously within a few minutes .
Etymology 2
The adjective hail is a variant of (from the early 13th century). The transitive verb with the meaning "to salute" is also from the 13th century. The cognate verb heal is already Old English (. Also cognate is whole, from Old English (the spelling with wh- is unetymological, introduced in the 15th century).Verb
(en verb)- And such a son as all men hailed me happy.
- He was hailed as a hero.
- Hail a taxi.
Derived terms
* hailer * hail fromInterjection
(en-intj)- Hail , brave friend.
rain
English
Noun
(en-noun)- We've been having a lot of rain lately .
- The rains came late that year.
- A rain of mortar fire fell on our trenches.
Alternative forms
* (l) (obsolete)Usage notes
* shower, downpour, drop are some of the words used to count rain.Synonyms
* See alsoDerived terms
en verb)- It will rain today.
- The rain it raineth every day.
- Tears rained from her eyes.
- Bombs rained from the sky.
- The boxer rained punches on his opponent's head.
