noun
Meaning 1
One who wails or laments.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
wailer
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.
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UK: /ˈweɪlə/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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US: wāʹlər
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US: /ˈweɪlɚ/
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rhymes with -eɪlə(ɹ)
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homophone: whaler (wine–whine merger)
noun
Meaning 2
A professional hired mourner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: moirologist
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A boy employed to pick out stones, pyrites, etc. remaining in the coal after it is screened.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Topics: business, mining
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
a mourner who utters long loud high-pitched cries
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: mourner, griever, sorrower, lamenter, speaker, talker, utterer, verbalizer, verbaliser
History
Etymology
From Middle English wayler, weilere; equivalent to wail + -er.
From wail + -er; see wail (“choose, select”).
Across languages
Translations
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- German: Klagender — one who wails
- German: Klagende — one who wails
- Spanish: gemidor — one who wails
- Azerbaijani: ağıçı — a hired mourner
- Azerbaijani: ağıçı qadın — a hired mourner
- French: pleureuse — a hired mourner
- Latin: praefica — a hired mourner
- Portuguese: carpideira — a hired mourner
- Romanian: bocitoare — a hired mourner
- Romanian: bocitor — a hired mourner
- Russian: пла́кальщица (plákalʹščica) — a hired mourner
- Spanish: plañidera — a hired mourner
- Spanish: llorona — a hired mourner
- Spanish: endechadera — a hired mourner
- Swedish: gråterska — a hired mourner
- Ukrainian: плачка (plačka) — a hired mourner