Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Sense: 2
Date: 1200-1300
Origin: HAIL3
Sense: 3
Origin: Old English hagalian, from hagal; HAIL1

hail

2 verb
     
hail2
1 [transitive] to describe someone or something as being very good
hail somebody/something as something
Lang's first film was immediately hailed as a masterpiece.
be hailed something
The new service has been hailed a success.
A young man is being hailed a hero tonight after rescuing two children.
2 [transitive] to call to someone in order to greet them or try to attract their attention:
She leaned out of the window and hailed a passerby.
hail a cab/taxi
The hotel doorman will hail a cab for you.
3

it hails

if it hails, small balls of ice fall like rain:
It's windy and hailing outside.

hail from something

phrasal verb
to have been born in a particular place:
And where do you hail from?
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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