gall Hear it!

gall1 definition

gall (gôl)

noun

  1. bile (sense )
  2. Archaic the gallbladder
  3. something that is bitter or distasteful
  4. bitter feeling; rancor
  5. ☆ rude boldness; impudence; audacity

Etymology: ME galle < OE (Anglian) galla (WS gealla), akin to Ger galle < IE base *ĝhel-, to shine, yellow > L fel, gall, Gr cholē, bile

gall2 definition

gall (gôl)

noun

  1. a sore on the skin, esp. of a horse's back, caused by rubbing or chafing
  2. irritation or annoyance, or a cause of this

Etymology: ME galle < OE gealla < L galla: see gall

transitive verb

  1. to injure or make sore by rubbing; chafe
  2. to irritate; annoy; vex

Etymology: ME gallen < the n. (or < OFr galer, to scratch < galle < L galla)

intransitive verb

Rare to become sore from rubbing or chafing
gall3 definition

gall (gôl)

noun

a tumor on plant tissue caused by stimulation by fungi, insects, or bacteria: galls formed on oak trees have a high tannic acid content and are used commercially

Etymology: ME galle < OFr < L galla, gallnut, orig., spherical growth < IE base *gel-, to form into a ball > clay, clot

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

gall Synonyms

gall

n.

  1. Spite

    cynicism, rancor, bitterness; see bitterness 2, malice.

  2. *Impudence

    effrontery, insolence, temerity, impertinence; see rudeness. See syn. study at temerity.


gall

v.

annoy, irk, irritate; see bother 2, rankle.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

gall Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • bitterness: Are ye brought to the conviction of this, that ye are in the gall of bitterness?

Converse of object

  • induce: Two species of rust fungus occur on juniper, and these induce galls to form on the stems and twigs.

Adjective modifier

  • cynipid: I have used cynipid galls in ecological studies for over 13 years.

Modifies a noun

  • bladder: The gall bladder is a storage site for bile.

Noun used with modifier

  • crown: However, this is the first report of the crown gall on apricot trees grown in Turkey.
gall usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

gall quotes

And Isaid,My strengthand my hope isperished fromthe L: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

-Bible (Old Testament)

Thy rebukehath brokenmy heart;Iam full of heaviness: I looked for some to have pity on me, but there was no man, neither found I any to comfort me. They gave me gall to eat: and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.

-Book of Common Prayer

gall quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"gall." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/gall>

APA Style

gall. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/gall

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment