# hello

Pronunciation: US say "he-LOH" /hɛˈloʊ/; say "huh-LOH" UK /həˈləʊ/, AUS /həˈləʉ/

## Interjection

1. Said as a greeting when meeting someone or acknowledging their presence, or when answering or starting a telephone call.
   - Simple: A word you say to greet someone when you meet them or when you answer the phone.
   - _Hello, Professor. I wasn't expecting to run into you here._
   - _Hello there, everyone. Thanks so much for coming out tonight._
3. Called out to check whether anyone is present or listening, or whether a phone call has been cut off.
   - Simple: Said loudly to find out if anyone is there or still listening.
   - _Hello? The line went quiet. Can you still hear me?_
   - _She pushed open the dark door and called, "Hello? Is anyone in here?"_
5. Said sarcastically to suggest that the person addressed has done something foolish or missed something that should have been obvious. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Said in a rude way to show you think someone missed something obvious.
   - _Hello? Did you even read the instructions before you started?_
   - _You forgot my birthday again; hello, it's the same date every single year._
6. Said to express puzzlement, or to mark the sudden discovery of something newly noticed. *(UK)*
   - Simple: Said when you are confused by something or suddenly notice it.
   - _Hello, what's going on over there by the back gate?_
   - _Hello, that's odd; the cupboard was locked a minute ago._

## Noun

2. An utterance of greeting, or the act of greeting someone, when you meet or address them.
   - Simple: An act of saying hello or a similar greeting to someone.
   - _A warm hello from the host put the nervous guests at ease._
   - _Their cheerful hellos echoed across the crowded hall._

## Verb

4. To address someone with a spoken greeting, saying hello to acknowledge them.
   - Simple: To greet someone by saying hello to them.
   - _I like to hello my neighbors whenever I pass their porch._
   - _She helloed each guest as they arrived at the gallery._

## Origin

First recorded in print in 1826, hello grew out of older calls such as hallo, hollo and holla, whose deeper source is uncertain (an old Germanic shout for hailing a ferryman and French holà are both proposed). The word predates the telephone, but Thomas Edison helped make it the standard phone greeting, recommending it in an 1877 letter.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/hello (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).