peal
peal Lexical Profile
peal Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A loud, prolonged ringing of a bell or a set of bells.
"A joyous peal of church bells echoed across the valley to celebrate the wedding."
A loud, repeated, or reverberating sound, especially of thunder or laughter.
"The comedian's witty remark was met with a sudden peal of laughter from the audience."
A set of bells tuned to one another for ringing in a specified sequence, or a specific series of changes rung on them.
"The historic cathedral tower houses a magnificent peal of twelve bronze bells."
• verb
To ring loudly or resound in a series of reverberating sounds (of a bell, thunder, or laughter).
"Thunder pealed overhead as the summer storm rolled across the plains."
To cause a bell or set of bells to ring loudly.
"The ringers pealed the parish bells to announce the signing of the peace treaty."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'peal' (a loud ringing sound or burst of noise) with its homophone 'peel' (the outer skin of a fruit or the act of stripping it off).
• Rhymes for peal
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating in Middle English as 'pele', the word is a shortened form of 'apele' (appeal), from Old French 'apeler', meaning to call upon or summon by ringing bells.