# peal

> English word · Noun · IPA /piːl/ · frequency rank #58,923

## Definitions
1. A loud sound, or a succession of loud sounds, as of bells, thunder, cannon, shouts, laughter, of a multitude, etc.
2. A set of bells tuned to each other according to the diatonic scale.
3. The changes rung on a set of bells; in the strict sense a full peal of at least 5040 changes.

## Etymology
From Middle English pele, peil, probably an apheretic variant of Middle English apel, appel, from Old French apel (“an appeal; pealing of bells”). Compare appeal.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/peal