hailstone

noun

hail·​stone ˈhāl-ˌstōn How to pronounce hailstone (audio)
: a pellet of hail

Examples of hailstone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Research suggests that climate change will cause large hailstones to become more common. Evan Bush, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2024 According to the National Weather Service, hailstones are formed when raindrops are carried upward by thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere, causing the raindrops to freeze. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024 In May, a derecho punched windows out of Houston skyscrapers and storms dropped giant hailstones. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024 And research suggests that large hailstones like the ones Berlin saw Monday will become more common as Earth warms. Evan Bush, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hailstone 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hailstone was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hailstone

Cite this Entry

“Hailstone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hailstone. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hailstone

noun
hail·​stone ˈhā(ə)l-ˌstōn How to pronounce hailstone (audio)
: a small lump of hail

More from Merriam-Webster on hailstone

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