Brewer's: Water-gall

The dark rim round the eyes after much weeping. A peculiar appearance in a rainbow which indicates more rain at hand. “Gall” is the Anglo-Saxon gealew (yellow).

And round about her tear-distainëd eye Blue circles streamed, like rainbows in the sky; These watergalls ... foretell new storms.

Shakespeare: Rape of Lucrecs.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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