Library / English Dictionary

PEAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells)

Synonyms:

peal; pealing; roll; rolling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("peal" is a kind of...):

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

Derivation:

peal (sound loudly and sonorously)

peal (ring recurrently)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Sound loudly and sonorously

Example:

the bells rang

Synonyms:

peal; ring

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "peal" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "peal"):

ding; dingdong; dong (go 'ding dong', like a bell)

tintinnabulate (ring or sound like a small bell)

peal (ring recurrently)

knell (ring as in announcing death)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

peal; pealing (a deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Ring recurrently

Example:

bells were pealing

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "peal" is one way to...):

peal; ring (sound loudly and sonorously)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

peal; pealing (a deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells))

Credits

 Context examples: 

At times the mist cleared, and the sea for some distance could be seen in the glare of the lightning, which now came thick and fast, followed by such sudden peals of thunder that the whole sky overhead seemed trembling under the shock of the footsteps of the storm.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It passed off in a clamorous peal that seemed to wake an echo in every lonely chamber; though it originated but in one, and I could have pointed out the door whence the accents issued.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

A yell of exultation, and a forest of waving steel through the length and breadth of their column, announced that they could at last see their entrapped enemies, while the swelling notes of a hundred bugles and drums, mixed with the clash of Moorish cymbals, broke forth into a proud peal of martial triumph.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

John Brooke laughed then as he never dared to laugh afterward, and the derisive Scott smiled involuntarily as he heard the hearty peal, which put the finishing stroke to poor Meg's woe.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I should have said so, perhaps, but a livid, vivid spark leapt out of a cloud at which I was looking, and there was a crack, a crash, and a close rattling peal; and I thought only of hiding my dazzled eyes against Mr. Rochester's shoulder.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

A knot of heads gathered about her, and Amy strained her ears to hear what was going on, for broken sentences filled her with curiosity, and frequent peals of laughter made her wild to share the fun.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)