From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Gall \Gall\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Galled} (g[add]ld); p. pr. &
vb. n. {Galling}.] [OE. gallen; cf. F. galer to scratch, rub,
gale scurf, scab, G. galle a disease in horses' feet, an
excrescence under the tongue of horses; of uncertain origin.
Cf. {Gall} gallnut.]
1. To fret and wear away by friction; to hurt or break the
skin of by rubbing; to chafe; to injure the surface of by
attrition; as, a saddle galls the back of a horse; to gall
a mast or a cable.
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I am loth to gall a new-healed wound. --Shak.
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2. To fret; to vex; as, to be galled by sarcasm.
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They that are most galled with my folly,
They most must laugh. --Shak.
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3. To injure; to harass; to annoy; as, the troops were galled
by the shot of the enemy.
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In our wars against the French of old, we used to
gall them with our longbows, at a greater distance
than they could shoot their arrows. --Addison.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Galling \Gall"ing\, a.
Fitted to gall or chafe; vexing; harassing; irritating. --
{Gall"ing*ly}, adv.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
galling
adj 1: causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying
rhythm on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is
particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it
galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating
delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito";
"swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled safety
catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him";
"a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to have to admit you
are wrong" [syn: {annoying}, {bothersome}, {galling},
{irritating}, {nettlesome}, {pesky}, {pestering},
{pestiferous}, {plaguy}, {plaguey}, {teasing},
{vexatious}, {vexing}]
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