hale
- 01 C2 Proficiency
adj.strong and healthy, especially when used to describe an older person.
adj.sound and robust in health; typically used in the fixed phrase 'hale and hearty' to describe vigorous elderly individuals.
Simple“Even at eighty years old, my grandfather remained hale and hearty.”
In context“The explorer was remarkably hale for his age, possessing a physical constitution that put men half his age to shame.”
UsageCommonly appears in the coordinated phrase 'hale and hearty'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
v.to pull or drag someone or something with a lot of force.
v.to haul, pull, or drag something or someone, often with significant effort or against resistance.
Simple“The guards were ordered to hale the prisoner before the king.”
In context“The angry mob attempted to hale the suspect through the narrow streets toward the magistrate's office.”
UsageTakes a direct object; often used in legal or historical contexts regarding dragging someone to court.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.an old word for health or well-being.
n.a state of health, safety, or general welfare.
Simple“The old songs often wished for the hale and happiness of the village.”
In context“The ancient documents recorded the king's concern for the hale of his subjects during the long winter months.”
UsageUncountable; almost entirely replaced by 'health' in modern English.
* As an English surname, Old English dative form of halh (“hollow, nook”). * Also as an English surname, from Old English hæle (“hero”). Compare Hain. * As an Irish surname, from mac céile; see McHale. * As a Jewish surname, variant of Halle.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.