I. peal 1 /piːl/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: appeal ]
1 . a sudden loud sound of laughter
peal of
We could hear peals of laughter coming from the hall.
2 . a loud sound of thunder SYN clap
peal of
A loud peal of thunder crashed directly overhead.
3 . the 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
II. peal 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
1 . ( also peal out ) 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.