hale Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a soldier of the American Revolution who was hanged as a spy by the British; his last words were supposed to have been `I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country' (1755-1776)
    Nathan Hale.
  2. noun United States astronomer who discovered that sunspots are associated with strong magnetic fields (1868-1938)
    George Ellery Hale.
  3. noun prolific United States writer (1822-1909)
    Edward Everett Hale.
  4. verb to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in the city"
    coerce; force; squeeze; pressure.
    • He squeezed her for information
  5. verb draw slowly or heavily
    haul; drag; cart.
    • haul stones
    • haul nets
  6. adjective satellite exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health
    whole.
    • hale and hearty
    • whole in mind and body
    • a whole person again

WordNet

Hale adjective
Etymology
Written also heil, Icel. heill; akin to E. whole. See Whole.
Definitions
  1. Sound; entire; healthy; robust; not impaired; as, a hale body.
    Last year we thought him strong and hale. Swift.
Hale noun
Definitions
  1. Welfare. Obs.
    All heedless of his dearest hale. Spenser.
Hale transitive verb
Etymology
OE. halen, halien; cf. AS. holian, to acquire, get. See Haul.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Haled present participle & verbal noun Haling
Definitions
  1. To pull; to drag; to haul. See Haul. Chaucer.
    Easier both to freight, and to hale ashore. Milton.
    As some dark priest hales the reluctant victim. Shelley.

Webster 1913