hailstone — a pellet of frozen rain which falls in showers from cumulonimbus clouds
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a pellet of frozen rain which falls in showers from cumulonimbus clouds
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈheɪlstoʊn/
Example Sentences
- The weather forecast warned of tennis ball-sized hailstones that could dent cars and break windows.
- My grandmother collected hailstones in a bucket, thinking they were free ice cubes for her lemonade.
- The hailstones were so large that people mistook them for baseballs falling from the sky.
hailstone
NOUN[/ˈheɪlstoʊn/]
a pellet of frozen rain which falls in showers from cumulonimbus clouds
A huge hailstone smashes through the farmer's greenhouse roof during the storm.
Hailstone strikes the milestone, our journey's cornerstone
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Hailstone is a compound word from Old English, combining 'hægl' (hail) and 'stan' (stone). The term literally means 'hail stone,' referring to the pellets of ice that fall during hailstorms, reflecting the word's transparent descriptive nature in early English.
Breakdown
hægl (hail) + stan (stone) — a compound formation where 'hægl' derives from Proto-Germanic 'hagilaz' and 'stan' from Proto-Germanic 'stainaz', both roots meaning their respective referents in the natural world.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The weather forecast warned of tennis ball-sized hailstones that could dent cars and break windows.”
“My grandmother collected hailstones in a bucket, thinking they were free ice cubes for her lemonade.”
“The hailstones were so large that people mistook them for baseballs falling from the sky.”
“Scientists study hailstone layers to understand storm intensity and atmospheric conditions.”
📚Related Words
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