weal

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: wēl, IPA: /wiːl/, X-SAMPA: /wi:l/

  Rhymes: -iːl

• Homophone: we'll; wheal, wheel (in accents with the wine-whine merger)

Etymology 1

Old English wela.

Noun

weal (plural weals)

1. (obsolete) Wealth, riches. [10th-19th c.]
2. (now literary) Welfare, prosperity. [from 10th c.]
3. Specifically, the general happiness of a community, country etc. (often with qualifying word). [from 15th c.]
   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter IV:

     The austerity of my tone seemed to touch a nerve and kindle the fire that always slept in this vermilion-headed menace to the common weal [...].

   • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 372:

     Louis could aim to restyle himself the first among citizens, viewing virtuous attachment to the public weal as his most important kingly duty.

Translations

community welfare

• Finnish: hyvinvointi (fi)
• Russian: благосостояние n, благо n

• Spanish: bien común (es) m
• Swedish: väl (sv) n, välstånd (sv) n

Related terms

• in weal or woe

Etymology 2

See wale

Noun

weal (plural weals)

1. a raised, longitudinal wound, usually purple, on the surface of flesh caused by stroke of rod or whip; a welt.

Synonyms

• wheal

Translations

a raised, longitudinal wound, usually purple, on the surface of flesh caused by stroke of rod or whip

• Russian: рубец (ru) (rubec) m, полоса (ru) (polosa) f

• Spanish: roncha (es) f

Verb

weal (third-person singular simple present weals, present participle wealing, simple past and past participle wealed)

1. To mark with stripes; to wale.

Anagrams

• lawe, wale