hailstorm
HAYL-storm
/ˈheɪlstɔːrm/
A storm that produces ice pellets known as hail.
Focuses specifically on solid ice balls falling from strong cumulonimbus clouds, often causing physical property damage.
The story behind the word. Combines Old English 'hægl' (hard ice pellets) with 'storm'. Hail has been used in Germanic languages for over a millennium to describe ice balls created in cloud updrafts.
Word relationships
- ice storm: An ice storm typically coats surfaces in liquid rain that freezes on contact, whereas a hailstorm drops solid ice stones.
Commonly confused with
- sleet: Hail forms in thunderstorm updrafts in summer/spring, while sleet falls during winter freezing rain conditions.
Collocations
- severe hailstorm
- hailstorm damage
- hailstones
Idioms & expressions
- a hail of criticism
Example sentences
- "The brief hailstorm dented roof tiles and cracked the windshields of parked cars." Insurance claim description
Memory hook
Ice stones HAIL down from the cloud during a storm. Falling pellets of hard ice.
When not to use
Do not confuse with sleet, which consists of small soft slushy frozen raindrops.
Fun facts
- The largest hailstones in the United States reached nearly 8 inches in diameter, about the size of a volleyball.
Explore more words
precipitation, hurricane, meteorology, avalanche, sedimentary, forecast
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