hail (2) — ONAD

hail2 /hāl, heɪl

▸ verb

1 [with object] call out to (someone) to attract attention:

the crew hailed a fishing boat.

▪ signal (an approaching taxicab) to stop:

she raised her hand to hail a cab.

2 [with object] acclaim enthusiastically as being a specified thing:

he has been hailed as the new James Dean.

3 [no object] (hail from) have one's home or origins in (a place):

he hails from Pittsburgh.

▸ exclamation archaic expressing greeting or acclaim:

hail, Caesar!

▸ noun a shout or call used to attract attention.

– PHRASES
within hail (or within hailing distance) dated
at a distance within which someone may be called to; within earshot:

the line keeps within hail of the River Dee.

– DERIVATIVES
hailer

– ORIGIN Middle English : from the obsolete adjective hail ‘healthy’ (occurring in greetings and toasts, such as wæs hæil: see wassail), from Old Norse heill, related to hale1 and whole.