peal (1), peale, peele

[A shortened form of appeal, by lo of the first syllable of O. Fr. apel; Fr. appel; Mid. Eng. apel =an old term in hunting music, consisting of three long moots.] 1. A loud sound, as of thunder, bells, cannon, shouting; usually a succe ion of loud sounds. "And the deep thunder peal on peal afar." Byron: Childe Harold , iii. 25. 2. A set of bells tuned to each other. 3. The changes rung on such a set of bells. pēal (2), s. [PAIL.] peal (3), s. (Etym. doubtful.] Ichthy.: (See extract.) "The names Bull-trout and Peal are not attributable to definite species. We have examined specimens of Salmo salar, S. trutto , and S. cambric us and S. fario , to which the name Bull-trout had been given; and that of Peal is given indiscriminately to the Salmon-grilse and to S. cambri cus." -Günther: Introd. to Study of Fishes, p. 644. (Note 2.) peal, v. i . & t . [PEAL (1), s.] A. In trans.: To utter or give out loud and solemn sounds. "The pealing organ and the pausing choir." Tickell: Death of Mr. Add is on . B. Transitive : 1. To cause to give out loud and solemn sounds. *2. To celebrate; to noise abroad. "The warrior's name Though pealed and chimed on all the tongues of fame." J. Barlow. (Webster.) *3. To a ail with noise. "Nor was his ear le peal'd With noises loud and ruinous." IMG:content-0779.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0780.png:[blocks in formation] peacock-butterfly, s. Entom.: Vane a io , a beautiful butterfly, two and one-half, or two and three-quarter inches acro the wings, which are a dull deep red, each with an eye-like spot. Larva spiny, black, with many white dots. It is seen in numbers, on the tops of nettles, in June and July. The perfect insect appears in August, lives through the winter, and is seen in March and April. 3. To make a mean figure; to sneak, to hide. 4. To peep, to pry. "Why stand'st thou here then, Sneaking and peaking , as thou would'st steal linnen?" Beaum . & Flet.: Wild Goose Chase, ii. 3. B. Transitive: Nautical: 1. To top (a gaff or yard) more obliquely. 2. To raise (the oars) upright amidships. Bot . & Hort .: Pyrus communis. It is a shrub or small tree, twenty to forty feet high, with the branches more or le spinescent and pendulous, the flowers in corymbose cymes, and the fruit pyriform, one or two inches long, becoming larger and sweeter in cultivation. Many hundred cultivated varieties exist. The wood of the pear is almost as hard as box, and is sometimes used as a substitute for it by wood-engravers.