Hailing

Hailing refers to the act of greeting or attracting attention by calling out, waving, or signaling someone or something. It can be as formal as a ceremonial proclamation—All hail the king—and as casual as a greeting among friends. In transportation contexts, to hail is to signal a vehicle to stop, such as hail a taxi or hail a bus.

Etymology and sense: The verb hail comes from Old English hal (often written hāl), meaning healthy or whole, used historically as a cry of greeting or blessing. Over time it broadened to mean to greet, salute, or acclaim, and in modern usage includes calling attention or initiating service. The phrase all hail preserves the ceremonial connotation.

Uses and phrases: Hailing is common in direct address, ceremonies, and public announcements. The expression to hail from means to originate from a place. In everyday speech, hailing a person or thing is typically literal, though the term can be used metaphorically in phrases like a hail of praise or to hail someone’s accomplishments.

Weather sense: In meteorology, hail refers to solid precipitation—ice stones formed in strong convective clouds. The present participle hailing is used to describe ongoing hail events, as in it is hailing outside. Hail can vary in size and can cause damage to property, crops, and vehicles during severe storms.

See also: Hail in cultural and symbolic contexts. The term’s usage varies across cultures and registers, from formal ceremonial language to everyday speech and meteorological description.