peal

play

noun \ ˈpēl \

Definition of peal

1 a :the loud ringing of bells

the peal of wedding bells

b :a complete set of changes (see ²change 5) on a given number of bells

c :a set of bells tuned to the tones of the major (see ¹major 7a) scale for change ringing

2 :a loud sound or succession of sounds

peals of laughter

peals of thunder

See peal defined for English-language learners

See peal defined for kids

Examples of peal in a Sentence

the peal of wedding bells

Recent Examples of peal from the Web

It is scheduled to resume its signature peals in 2021.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Big Ben to Fall Silent During Four-Year Renovation Project," 15 Aug. 2017
Once the president, the clients, and a ragtag of press had settled around the fountain a peal of bells rang out to mark the start of the show.

— luke leitch, Vogue, "Sicilians Do It Better: Dolce & Gabbana Present Their Alta Moda in Palermo," 8 July 2017
Each swami took a microphone and addressed the crowd for several minutes, some sending the attendees into peals of laughter with what sounded like standup-comedy patter.

— jonathan m. pitts, baltimoresun.com, "A birthday for the gods," 4 July 2017
Her brothers break into peals of laughter when recounting an experiment Megan undertook last year to see if beetles could become stronger through exercise.

— greg mellen, Orange County Register, "Science binds Orange County family’s experience," 26 Jan. 2017
Boris Godunov, the regent suspected by some of complicity, crushed the incipient rebellion by ordering the execution of 200 people who answered the bell’s peals and the banishment of the rest.

— steven lee myers, New York Times, "Shorthand for Suffering: Siberia Under the Czars," 4 Jan. 2017
Following three peals of the ship’s alarm (long, short, long), the crew members assembled on the foredeck for their first ever nighttime rescue.

— hereward holland, National Geographic, "An Up-Close Look at Refugee Rescues on the Mediterranean," 12 Sep. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.