I. ˈhēl, esp before pause or consonant -ēəl verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English helen, from Old English hǣlan; akin to Old High German heilen to heal, Old Norse heila, Gothic hailjan; causative denominatives from the root of Old English hāl healthy, whole — more at whole
transitive verb
1.
a. : to make sound or whole : restore to health
b. : to cure of disease or affliction
a society to heal convulsions or cramps — Ruth F. Kirk
heal injured tissues
2.
a. : to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome or eliminated : mend
the troubles … had not been forgotten, but they had been healed — William Power
heal marital rifts and to ward off hasty divorce actions — New York Times
specifically : to patch up (a rift or division) : cement
the conflicts between capital and labor … might temporarily be healed — J.A.Hobson
healed a breach between the two branches of the family — Current Biography
b. : to restore to original purity or integrity : to make (a person) spiritually whole : to restore from evil
healed of his sins
thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters — 2 Kings 2:21 (Authorized Version)
intransitive verb
1. : to grow sound : return to a sound state
the limb heals
the wound heals
2. : to effect a cure
Synonyms: see cure
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English helen to hide, conceal, cover, from Old English helan — more at hell
1. dialect chiefly England : to cover (as seeds) with earth
2. dialect chiefly England : to cover with slates or tiles
a leaky-roofed, tile- healed … cottage — F.M.Ford