peal

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See also: Peal and pe-al

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English pele, peil, probably an apheretic variant of Middle English apel, appel, from Old French apel (an appeal; pealing of bells). Compare appeal.

Noun

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peal (plural peals)

  1. A loud sound, or a succession of loud sounds, as of bells, thunder, cannon, shouts, laughter, of a multitude, etc.
  2. (collective) A set of bells tuned to each other according to the diatonic scale.
    • 1908, H. B. Walters, chapter 1, in Church Bells[1]:
      Ingulphus, the chronicler of Croyland Abbey, mentions that a peal of seven bells was put up there in the tenth century, and that there was not such a harmonious peal in the whole of England; which implies that rings of bells were then common.
  3. The changes rung on a set of bells; in the strict sense a full peal of at least 5040 changes.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Verb

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peal (third-person singular simple present peals, present participle pealing, simple past and past participle pealed)

  1. (intransitive) To sound with a peal or peals.
    • 1864, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Christmas Bells:
      Then pealed the bells more loud and deep...
    • 1939 [1905], “In My Merry Oldsmobile”, Vincent P. Bryan (lyrics), Gus Edwards (music), performed by Bing Crosby:
      To the church we'll swiftly steal, then our wedding bells will peal, / You can go as far you like with me, in my merry Oldsmobile
    • 2006 September 11, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Bush Mourns 9/11 at Ground Zero as N.Y. Remembers”, in The New York Times[2], →ISSN:
      The bell pealed 20 times, clanging into the dusk as Mr. Bush’s motorcade drove off.
  2. (transitive) To utter or sound loudly.
    • 1807, Joel Barlow, The Columbiad:
      The warrior's name, / Though pealed and chimed on all the tongues of fame.
  3. (transitive) To assail with noise.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. [], London: [] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker []; [a]nd by Robert Boulter []; [a]nd Matthias Walker, [], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: [], London: Basil Montagu Pickering [], 1873, →OCLC:
      Nor was his ear less pealed.
  4. (intransitive) To resound; to echo.
  5. (obsolete) To appeal.
    • c. 1450, The Boke of Curtasye:
      To A baron of chekker þay mun hit pele'.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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Uncertain.

Alternative forms

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Noun

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peal (plural peals)

  1. A small salmon; a grilse; a sewin.

Anagrams

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Estonian

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Etymology

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Adessive case of pea.

Noun

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peal

  1. adessive singular of pea

Postposition

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peal

  1. on, on top of