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grêle

hail

noun GREHL Rare

Origin: Old French grêle, from Frankish

Also means

slender

Usage Note

Grêle as a noun (feminine) refers to the weather phenomenon of hailstones; une averse de grêle is a hailstorm. As an adjective (same spelling) it means 'slender' or 'thin', often describing a voice or limb — une voix grêle is a thin, reedy voice. The verb grêler means 'to hail'.

Examples

"La grêle a abîmé les récoltes."

Natural Translation

The hail damaged the crops.

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