Recent Examples on the WebSome of the strongest storms could potentially produce hailstones bigger than a softball or grapefruit.—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 In one warning that was issued for Kansas City, the Weather Service said the storm could produce apple-sized hailstones and wind gusts of 60 miles per hour.—Naomi Schanen, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 The main threat from the storm system, though, will be hail, possibly including hailstones as large or larger than hen’s eggs.—Julie Bosman, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Several thunderstorms also traveled across Iowa and Illinois on Thursday, dropping hailstones that ranged from the size of peas to the size of ping pong balls.—Evan Bush, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024 In this part of the country walnut-size hailstones are as destructive as a swarm of locusts.—Kathryn Phillips, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 But large enough hailstones can strike at a deadly velocity.—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2023 This second hailstone also approached the world record, which was set in South Dakota in 2010 by a hailstone eight inches (20.3 cm) in diameter—almost as large as a bowling ball—according to the National Weather Service.—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2023 Updrafts are crucial to the formation of hailstones, which start as tiny ice particles that researchers call embryos.—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hailstone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of hailstone was
before the 12th century
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