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wail

Flag: gbEnglishOxford New American Dictionary

wail /wāl, weɪl /
noun a prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger:
Christopher let out a wail.
a sound resembling a prolonged high-pitched cry:
the wail of an air-raid siren.
verb [no object] give a cry of pain, grief, or anger:
Tina ran off wailing
[with direct speech] “But why?” she wailed.
make a sound resembling a wail:
the wind wailed and buffeted the timber structure.
[with object] literary manifest or feel deep sorrow for; lament:
she wailed her wretched life.
– DERIVATIVES
wailer /ˈwālər, ˈweɪlər / noun
– ORIGIN Middle English : from Old Norse; related to woe.