[gaw-ling] 
| that galls; chafing; irritating; vexing; exasperating. |
[gawl] | 1. | to make sore by rubbing; chafe severely: The saddle galled the horse's back. |
| 2. | to vex or irritate greatly: His arrogant manner galls me. |
| 3. | to be or become chafed. |
| 4. | Machinery. (of either of two engaging metal parts) to lose metal to the other because of heat or molecular attraction resulting from friction. |
| 5. | Metallurgy. (of a die or compact in powder metallurgy) to lose surface material through adhesion to the die. |
| 6. | a sore on the skin, esp. of a horse, due to rubbing; excoriation. |
| 7. | something very vexing or irritating. |
| 8. | a state of vexation or irritation. |
| gall 2 (gôl) n.
v. tr.
To become irritated, chafed, or sore. [Middle English galle, from Old English gealla, possibly from Latin galla, nutgall.] |
| gall·ing (gô'lĭng) adj. Causing extreme irritation or chagrin; vexing: a galling delay; a galling setback to their plans. gall'ing·ly adv. |
gall 2 (gôl)
n.
A skin sore caused by friction and abrasion. v. galled, gall·ing, galls
To become irritated, chafed, or sore.
| gall (gôl) Pronunciation Key
An abnormal swelling of plant tissue, caused by injury or by parasitic organisms such as insects, mites, nematodes, and bacteria. Parasites stimulate the production of galls by secreting chemical irritants on or in the plant tissue. Galls stimulated by egg-laying parasites typically provide a protective environment in which the eggs can hatch and the pupae develop, and they usually do only minor damage to the host plant. Gall-stimulating fungi and microorganisms, such as the bacterium that causes crown gall, are generally considered to be plant diseases. |