Standard Lemma guide

hal

name · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /hæl/
  • /hɑl/
  • /hɔl/
  • /hɔːl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US, dialectal: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æl
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AE1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A diminutive of the male given names Henry, Harold and Harry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

Initialism of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: India, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A special temporary state of consciousness, generally understood to be the product of a Sufi's spiritual practices while on his way toward God.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Acronym of hardware abstraction layer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, acronym, alt-of

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences, software

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A homicidal computer, an artificial intelligence that acts similarly to the HAL 9000 featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, fiction, literature, mathematics, media, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, publishing, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

A diminutive lambdacism of Harry (compare Sally from Sarah and Moll from Mary).

Arabic حَال (ḥāl, literally “state, condition”)

From the fictional HAL 9000.