I. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a peal of bells (= the sound of bells being rung several times )
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From the temple he could hear the peal of bells.
a peal of thunder (= one very loud sound )
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She jumped as a huge peal of thunder crashed directly overhead.
peals/hoots/gales of laughter (= a lot of loud laughter )
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This idea was greeted with hoots of laughter.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Both events sent black liberals and traditional civil rights groups into peals of yelping.
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It rose like a peal of music heard from a distance on a clear night.
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It seldom had to ring more than once, but every time he dreaded that the peal might have woken Nell.
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She then literally jumped in her seat as a huge peal of thunder crashed directly overhead.
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The comment elicited a peal of laughter from her classmates.
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The names of the little towns round about Valence ring like peals of bells compelling you to go and look at them.
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This proclamation was like the first peal of a surcharged thunder-cloud, clearing the murky air.
II. verb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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The bells of Saint Paul's pealed out on a sleepy Sunday morning.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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At that very moment, the doorbell pealed.
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At the stroke of midnight, the bells began to peal .
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But a great carillon pealing, pealing.
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He could see us perk up on Sunday morning when the Lutheran organ pealed out at ten-thirty.
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Julia was about to descend to the kitchen when the bell pealed again.
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The class bell pealed throughout the building.
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The Methodists had chosen to peal their agreeable chimes at sunrise.
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When it buzzed, the lightning flashed and the thunder pealed.