# sweal

> English word · Verb · IPA /swiːl/

## Definitions
1. To burn slowly.
2. To melt and run down, as the tallow of a candle; waste away without feeding the flame.
3. To singe; scorch; dress (as a hog) with burning or singeing.
4. To consume with fire; burn.
5. To make disappear; cause to waste away; diminish; reduce.

## Etymology
From Middle English swelen, from Old English swelan (“to burn, be burnt up, inflame”) (compare Old English swǣlan (“to burn”)), from Proto-West Germanic *swelan, from Proto-Germanic *swelaną (“to smoulder, burn slowly, create a burningly cold sensation”), from Proto-Indo-European *swel- (“to shine, warm, smoulder, burn”). Cognate with Dutch zwelen (“to smoulder”), Low German swelen (“to smoulder”), German schwelen (“to smoulder”), Icelandic svala (“to cool”). Related to swelter.

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