peal

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: the loud ringing of bells
the peal of wedding bells
b
: a complete set of changes (see change entry 2 sense 6) on a given number of bells
c
: a set of bells tuned to the tones of the major (see major entry 1 sense 7a) scale for change ringing
2
: a loud sound or succession of sounds
peals of laughter
peals of thunder

peal

2 of 2

verb

pealed; pealing; peals

intransitive verb

: to give out peals

transitive verb

: to utter or give forth loudly

Examples of peal in a Sentence

Noun the peal of wedding bells Verb the village bells pealed every hour in commemoration
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
As two peals of thunder cracked overhead, all live television feeds from the site went dead. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025 Instead, fans turned the nasty weather into a party, cheering louder at every peal of thunder. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
Sirens blared, car horns honked and church bells pealed. Si Liberman, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2025 After the funeral, St. Peter's great bells pealed in mourning. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for peal

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, appeal, summons to church, short for appel appeal, from appelen to appeal

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1593, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of peal was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Peal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peal. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

peal

noun
ˈpē(ə)l
1
: the loud ringing of bells
2
: a loud sound or series of sounds
a peal of laughter
a peal of thunder
peal verb

More from Merriam-Webster on peal

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