peal
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English
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Etymology 1
[edit]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
[edit]peal (plural peals)
- A loud sound, or a succession of loud sounds, as of bells, thunder, cannon, shouts, laughter, of a multitude, etc.
- c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 174, column 2:
- Whether thoſe peales of praiſe be his or no.
- a. 1628 (date written), John Hayward, The Life, and Raigne of King Edward the Sixt, London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press, and J. Lichfield at Oxford?] for Iohn Partridge, […], published 1630, →OCLC:
- a fair peal of artillery
- 1816, Lord Byron, “Canto III”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. Canto the Third, London: Printed for John Murray, […], →OCLC, stanza XXV:
- and the deep thunder, peal on peal, afar
- 1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XVI, in Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 112:
- Mrs. Green burst out into one of those peals so peculiarly British.
- 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
- And, falling on a bench, he laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks, I could not help joining; and we laughed together, peal after peal […]
- 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:
- And she has half a mind to weep again now, for Jack Brotherhood, as the front doorbell sounds through the house like a bugle call, three short peals as ever.
- (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.
- The changes rung on a set of bells; in the strict sense a full peal of at least 5040 changes.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]loud sound
|
the sound of ringing bells
Verb
[edit]peal (third-person singular simple present peals, present participle pealing, simple past and past participle pealed)
- (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
- (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.
- (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.
- (intransitive) To resound; to echo.
- 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Cumberland:
- And the whole air pealed / With the cheers of our men.
- (obsolete) To appeal.
- c. 1450, The Boke of Curtasye:
- To A baron of chekker þay mun hit pele'.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]to sound with a peal
Etymology 2
[edit]Uncertain.
Alternative forms
[edit]Noun
[edit]peal (plural peals)
Anagrams
[edit]Estonian
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Adessive case of pea.
Noun
[edit]peal
Postposition
[edit]peal
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