gallow

• gally, galler, gall (dialectal)
• galley (obsolete)

From Middle English *galowen, *galewen, *galwen (attested in begalewen (“to frighten”)), from Old English *gǣlwan, *gēlwan (attested in āgǣlwed, āgēlwed (“stupified, astonished, disconcerted”)), of unknown origin. Alternative forms gally, galley perhaps influenced by Middle English galyen, galien, variants of galen (“to cry out, shout, make a harsh cry”), from Old English galan (“to sing, call”). Compare also Old Norse gala (“to sing, shout, crow”), Old Norse gjalla (“to yell, shout”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡæləʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æləʊ

gallow (third-person singular simple present gallows, present participle gallowing, simple past and past participle gallowed)

1. (now chiefly dialectal, transitive) To frighten, alarm, scare, or terrify.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     The wrathful skies / Gallow the very wanderers of the dark / And make them keep their caves.

2. (now chiefly dialectal, transitive) To drive or scare away.
3. (now chiefly dialectal, transitive) To confuse with noise.

• gwolla

gallow (plural gallows)

1. Ellipsis of gallow glyph.

   Synonym: gallow character