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Wale vs Wail - What's the difference?

wale | wail |

As nouns the difference between wale and wail

is that wale is a ridge or low barrier while wail is a prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.

As verbs the difference between wale and wail

is that wale is to strike the skin in such a way as to produce a wale while wail is to cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.

wale

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) wale, from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A ridge or low barrier.
  • A raised rib in knit goods or fabric, especially corduroy. (As opposed to course)
  • The texture of a piece of fabric.
  • (nautical) A horizontal ridge or ledge on the outside planking of a wooden ship. (See gunwale, chainwale)
  • A horizontal timber used for supporting or retaining earth.
  • A timber bolted to a row of piles to secure them together and in position.
    • (Knight)
  • A ridge on the outside of a horse collar.
  • A ridge or streak produced on skin by a cane or whip.
    • (Holland)

    Verb

    (wal)
  • To strike the skin in such a way as to produce a wale.
  • * 1832: Owen Felltham, Resolves, Divine, Moral, Political
    • Would suffer his lazy rider to bestride his patie: back, with his hands and whip to wale his flesh, and with his heels to dig into his hungry bowels?
  • * 2002: Hal Rothman, Neon Metropolis: How Las Vegas Started the Twenty-First Century
    • When faced with an adulthood that offered few options, grinding poverty and marriage to a man who drank too much and came home to wale on his own family or...no beatings.
  • To give a surface a texture of wales.

    • See also

    * whale * weal * wheal

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) . More at will.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something selected as being the best, preference; choice.

    • Verb

  • to choose, select.

    • Anagrams

    * ---- ==Fulniô==

    Noun

    (head)

    • References

    * 2009' (originally '''1968 ), Douglas Meland, Doris Meland, ''Fulniô (Yahthe) Syntax Structure: Preliminary Version , Associação Internacional de Linguística - SIL Brasil, page 19. ----

    wail

    English

    Etymology 1

    Probably from (etyl) Etymology in Webster's Dictionary

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
    • She let out a loud, doleful wail .
  • Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
    • The wail of snow-dark winter winds.
    A bird's wail in the night.
  • A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
  • To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.
  • To make a noise like mourning or crying.
    • The wind wailed and the rain streamed down.
  • To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
    • to wail one's death
    (Shakespeare)
  • (slang, music) To perform with great liveliness and force.
  • *
  • *
  • *
    • Derived terms
    * wailer * wailingly
    References

    Etymology 2

    Compare Icelandic word for "choice".

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To choose; to select.
  • * Henryson
    • Wailed wine and meats
    (Webster 1913) English terms with homophones