noun
hail; hailstones
Refers to hailstones, especially those 5 mm or larger. Compare with 霰 (あられ) for smaller ice pellets.
See also: 霰
昨日、雹が降って車に傷がついた。
Yesterday it hailed and my car got dents.
ゴルフボール大の雹が降ることもある。
Sometimes golf-ball-sized hail falls.
霰 refers to smaller ice pellets (usually under 5 mm), while 雹 is used for larger hailstones.
The kanji 雹 is a phono-semantic compound: 雨 (rain) + 包 (wrap), suggesting ice wrapped in rain. The reading ひょう is the on'yomi.