pele
pele Lexical Profile
pele Game Scores & Validity
• noun
(Often capitalized) In Hawaiian religion and mythology, the goddess of volcanoes, fire, lightning, and wind, regarded as the creator of the Hawaiian Islands.
"According to traditional Hawaiian lore, Pele resides within the Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea."
British A small fortified keep or tower built during the late Middle Ages along the Anglo-Scottish border as a defense against raids; a peel tower.
"The ruined stone pele still stands on the hillside overlooking the valley."
• Rhymes for pele
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The historical fortification sense comes from Middle English pele, borrowed from Anglo-Norman pel ('stake, palisade'), from Latin palus ('stake'). The mythological sense comes directly from Hawaiian Pele.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.