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Definition of neal

neal

/niːl/
Past Simple:nealed
•
Past Participle:nealed
•
Present Participle:nealing
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neal Lexical Profile

neal Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To heat and then slowly cool a material, such as glass or metal, in order to toughen it and reduce brittleness; to anneal (now archaic).

Example

"The master glazier carefully placed the stained glass into the kiln to neal the fragile panes."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for neal

Word Nuance & Usage

"Neal" is an archaic aphetic variant of "anneal" and should not be confused with its common homophone "kneel" (to rest on one's knees) or the proper name "Neal."

• Rhymes for neal

• Nearby Words

naysayer
naysaying
nazi
neal
neanderthal
neapolitan
near

Word Origin & Etymology

Originating in the 15th century, "neal" is a shortened (aphetic) form of "anneal," derived from Old English "onælan," meaning "to set on fire" or "to bake."

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Neal. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/neal
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