Pealing

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpiːlɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Producing a loud, resonant sound, typically referring to bells ringing in sequence or loud bursts
2. Emitting a series of clear, ringing tones often associated with church bells or festive occasions
3. Making a prolonged, echoing noise characteristic of bells sounding in celebration or announcement

Etymology: "Pealing" is the present participle of "peal," so its story is really the story of the noun. The noun probably came into Middle English as "pele" or "peil," a shortened form of "apel" or "appel," which in turn came from Old French "apel." That French word meant both "an appeal" and, specifically, the ringing of bells, so the same term that summoned someone to court or to a cause was also used for the summons of a church bell. The word "appeal" itself shares this root, which is why the two are often compared. The shortened form is thought to have dropped the initial vowel, a process called apheresis, though the exact route is not fully settled. The original sense was of a set of bells rung in sequence, a "peal" of bells, and the broader senses of any loud, resonant burst of sound grew from that bell-ringing meaning. The verb followed the noun, so "pealing" carries the same bell-tower sense: a sound that rolls out and fills the air.

Synonyms: ringing, tolling