From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhealheal /hiːl/ ●●○ verb [intransitive, transitive] 1 (also heal up)HEALTHY if a wound or a broken bone heals or is healed, the flesh, skin, or bone grows back together and becomes healthy again It took three months for my arm to heal properly.2 CUREto make someone who is ill become healthy again, especially by using natural powers or prayer → cure a preacher who claims that he can heal the sick3 to become mentally or emotionally strong again after a bad experience, or to help someone to do this The trauma of divorce can often be healed by successful remarriage.4 ARGUEif an argument or disagreement between people heals or you heal it, the people stop arguing or disagreeingheal the wounds/breach/division/rift Our main goal must be to heal the divisions in our society. The rift between the two younger men never healed. → heal over→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
heal• Some survive, of course: time heals a few wounds, wounds a few heels.• Early on the ninth night, he tells us, the crucial healing dance began.• But those who have clearly not been healed do not appear discouraged.• We've seen dozens of marriages failed and families healed here at the center.• This cream is good for healing minor cuts and bruises.• Madame Bernice claimed to be able to heal people simply by laying her hands on their bodies.• Given half a chance, his body was healing, repairing itself.• A sprain usually takes longer to heal than a broken bone.• They believe they have healed themselves using the "power of the mind."heal the wounds/breach/division/rift• Re-creating a painful relationship from your childhood, in hope of healing the wounds?• Should he try to heal the breach between Andrew Neil and Lamont?• Many in the legal profession hoped that the Committee would help heal the rift between the two branches of the legal profession.• Understand the lesson in this for you, and heal the rift between you.• President Eisenhower set out to heal the divisions in the nation.• We are trying to heal the divisions, put the past behind us.• A: It is going to still be difficult to heal the wounds that the war left.• It would take much more to heal the wounds to her heart.Origin heal Old English hælan 