From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpealpeal1 /piːl/ noun [countable] 1 CDNa sudden loud sound of laughterpeal of We could hear peals of laughter coming from the hall.2 a loud sound of thunder SYN clappeal of A loud peal of thunder crashed directly overhead.3 CRRthe loud ringing sound made by a bell A sudden peal of bells broke the silence.4 technical a musical pattern made by ringing a number of bells one after the other
Examples from the Corpus
peal• The comment elicited a peal of laughter from her classmates.• It rose like a peal of music heard from a distance on a clear night.• This proclamation was like the first peal of a surcharged thunder-cloud, clearing the murky air.• She then literally jumped in her seat as a huge peal of thunder crashed directly overhead.• Both events sent black liberals and traditional civil rights groups into peals of yelping.• The names of the little towns round about Valence ring like peals of bells compelling you to go and look at them.• It seldom had to ring more than once, but every time he dreaded that the peal might have woken Nell.peal of• We could hear peals of laughter coming from the hall.• the peal of church bellspeal of thunder• The overwhelming blackness, the cracking peals of thunder and the piercing flash and hiss of forked lightning.• Later in the afternoon the first peals of thunder rolled across the sky.• Another great peal of thunder, then more lightning.• She then literally jumped in her seat as a huge peal of thunder crashed directly overhead.peal of bells• The names of the little towns round about Valence ring like peals of bells compelling you to go and look at them.pealpeal2 verb [intransitive] 1 (also peal out)APMC if bells peal, they ring loudly The bells pealed out on Christmas Day.2 literary to make a loud sound Lightning flashed and thunder pealed.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
peal• At that very moment, the doorbell pealed.• At the stroke of midnight, the bells began to peal.• When it buzzed, the lightning flashed and the thunder pealed.• Julia was about to descend to the kitchen when the bell pealed again.• He could see us perk up on Sunday morning when the Lutheran organ pealed out at ten-thirty.• The bells of Saint Paul's pealed out on a sleepy Sunday morning.• But a great carillon pealing, pealing.• The Methodists had chosen to peal their agreeable chimes at sunrise.• The class bell pealed throughout the building.Origin peal1 (1300-1400) appeal 