gall
noun
- insect-induced growth on plant
verb
- to annoy, irritate, chafe
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ɡɔːl/ / /ɡoːl/ / /ɡɔl/
name
Etymology: * As an English, Scottish Gaelic, and Irish surname, of Celtic origin, from Gall (“foreigner”). This is in turn from Latin Gallus, which has borrowings (many of which are surnames) in several European languages, such as Czech Havel, Polish Gawel. * As a Hungarian surname, variant of Gál, itself from the Latin word.
- A surname.
noun
Etymology: From Middle English galle, from Old French galle, from Latin galla (“oak-apple”).
- A blister or tumor-like growth found on the surface of plants, caused by various pathogens, especially the burrowing of insect larvae into the living tissues, such as that of the common oak gall wasp (Cynips quercusfolii).
“Even so, Redi retained a belief that in certain other cases—the origin of parasites inside the human or animal body or of grubs inside of oak galls—there must be spontaneous generation. Bit by bit the evidence grew against such views. In 1670 Jan Swammerdam, painstaking student of the insect’s life cycle, suggested that the grubs in galls were enclosed in them for the sake of nourishment and must come from insects that had inserted their semen or their eggs into the plants.”
- A bump-like imperfection resembling a gall.
“But first for your Line. First note, that you are to take care that your hair be round and clear, and free from galls, or scabs, or frets: for a well- chosen, even, clear, round hair, of a kind of glass-colour, will prove as strong as three uneven scabby hairs that are ill-chosen, and full of galls or unevenness. You shall seldom find a black hair but it is round, but many white are flat and uneven; therefore, if you get a lock of right, round, clear, glass-colour hair, make much of it.”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English galle, from Old French galle, from Latin galla (“oak-apple”).
- To impregnate with a decoction of gallnuts in dyeing.
“Raw silk is not galled, it is dyed at once in the black without any preparation : the liquor should be hot”