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drail

Pronunciation: /dɹeɪl/

The English word “drail” has 4 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A hook with a lead shank.
  2. The piece of lead around the shank of such a hook.
  3. The iron bow of a plough from which the traces draw.

verb

  1. To trawl.

Etymology

From Middle English *drailen (attested as drailed), a variant of Middle English trailen (“to hang loosely, drag along, drag away”), from a merger of Old French trailer, traillier (“to trail”) and Old English trǣġlian, trǣġelian (“to pluck, pull away”). The alteration of trailen to drailen was probably due to influence from Middle English dragan, drawen (“to drag, draw”).

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