Plural of gale; very strong, violent winds, or loud sudden bursts of laughter or sound.
From Old Norse 'gali' or possibly from Old English, origin uncertain. The word appears in English by the 1300s meaning a strong wind, and extended metaphorically to mean bursts of emotion.
When we say 'gales of laughter,' we're using a poetic comparison—laughter bursting out loudly and uncontrollably like a gale-force wind—and this metaphor shows how English describes emotional intensity by comparing it to nature's most powerful forces.
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