gala

(gā'lə, găl'ə, gä'lə)
n.

1. A festive occasion, especially a lavish social event or entertainment.
2. Chiefly British. An athletic competition, especially a swimming contest.

adj.

1. Marked by lavish or festive celebration: a gala ball after the inaugural ceremony.
2. Characterized by sumptuous social pleasure: the gala life of the very rich.

[Italian and French, both ultimately from Old French gale, rejoicing, from galer, to make merry. See gallant.]

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is normally pronounced gah-lǝ but the traditional pronunciation, as recorded in the Old English (up to 1150)D (1899) and as used in the Durham Miners' Gala, is gay-lǝ. Both pronunciations are in use in American English. The plural form is galas.

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noun

A large or important social gathering: affair, celebration, festivity, fete, function, occasion, party, soiree. Informal do. Slang bash. See group, work/play.

adjective

Marked by festal celebration: festive, glad, gladsome, happy, joyful, joyous, merry. See happy/unhappy.

IN BRIEF: A festive celebration.

This is a gala day for you. — Groucho Marx (1895-1977).

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symbol for a residue (or sometimes a molecule) of the uronic acid galacturonic acid.

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For a list of words related to gala, see:

• Celebrations, Observances, Rites, and Gatherings - gala: celebration marking special occasion, esp. opening of public entertainment
• Entertainments and Spectacles - gala: public entertainment marking special occasion

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See words rhyming with "gala."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Gala.

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - fest, festlighed, galla
adj. - festgalla-

2.
v. intr. - feste

Nederlands (Dutch)
gala, sportevenement (m.n. zwemsport)

Français (French)
1.
n. - gala
adj. - de gala

2.
v. intr. - (S. Afr.) mourir d'envie pour

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Fest, Festlichkeit, Festkleidung
adj. - festlich, Gala...

2.
v. - bitten um, sich sehnen, etwas ersehnen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - εορτή, εορταστική εκδήλωση, γκαλά

Italiano (Italian)
gala

Português (Portuguese)
n. - gala (f), festa (f)

Русский (Russian)
празднество

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - fiesta de gala, celebración, evento festivo, vestido de fiesta
adj. - festivo, llamativo

2.
v. intr. - ansiar, anhelar

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - stor fest

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
祭日, 祝贺, 节日, 节日的, 欢庆的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 祭日, 祝賀, 節日
adj. - 節日的, 歡慶的

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 축제, 특별한 개최
adj. - 축제의, 특별 개최의

2.
v. intr. - 강한 열망을 느끼다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - お祭り, 祝祭, 競技会
adj. - お祭りの

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مهرجان, احتفال‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮תפארת, חגיגיות, גאלה, תחרות שחיה‬
adj. - ‮חגיגי, ראוותני‬
v. intr. - ‮ערג ל- (דרום-אפריקה)‬

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