In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
WAIL
lament, lamentation, plaint, wail
(noun) a cry of sorrow and grief; “their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward”
wail, whimper, mewl, pule
(verb) cry weakly or softly; “she wailed with pain”
howl, ululate, wail, roar, yawl, yaup
(verb) emit long loud cries; “wail in self-pity”; “howl with sorrow”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Verb
wail (third-person singular simple present wails, present participle wailing, simple past and past participle wailed)
(intransitive) To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
(intransitive) To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.
(intransitive) To make a noise like mourning or crying.
(transitive) To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
(slang, music) To perform with great liveliness and force.
Noun
wail (plural wails)
A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish. [from 15th c.]
Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.
Etymology 2
Verb
wail (third-person singular simple present wails, present participle wailing, simple past and past participle wailed)
(obsolete) synonym of wale
Anagrams
• wali, wila, wāli
Source: Wiktionary
Wail, v. t. Etym: [Cf. Icel. val choice, velja to choose, akin to Goth. waljan, G. wählen.]
Definition: To choose; to select. [Obs.] "Wailed wine and meats." Henryson.
Wail, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wailed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wailing.] Etym: [OE. wailen, weilen, probably fr. Icel. væla; cf. Icel. væ, vei, woe, and E. wayment, also OE. wai, wei, woe. Cf. Woe.]
Definition: To lament; to bewail; to grieve over; as, to wail one's death. Shak.
Wail, v. i.
Definition: To express sorrow audibly; to make mournful outcry; to weep. Therefore I will wail and howl. Micah i. 8.
Wail, n.
Definition: Loud weeping; violent lamentation; wailing. "The wail of the forest." Longfellow.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
23 November 2024
THEORETICAL
(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”
Coffee Trivia
