drink hail

interjection

The customary old English reply to a drinking pledge or wassail.

OriginMiddle English drinc hail →
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Meanings

interjection
  1. obsoleteThe customary old English reply to a drinking pledge or wassail.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishdrinc hail
  2. Englishdrink hail

From Middle English drinc hail, drinchail, drinc-hæil, drincheheil, dringhail, drinkel, drink hail, drinkhail, drynkehaile, drynkeheil, drynk hayl, drynkheil, probably an Old Norse phrase; compare Old Icelandic far heill (“farewell!”), com heill (“welcome!”). Roughly translated to me "commence guzzling".

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

drink hail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drink%20hail

MLA

“drink hail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drink%20hail. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “drink hail,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drink%20hail.

Source: drink hail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.