I. ˈhwēl, esp before pause or consonant -ēəl; also ˈwē- transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: alteration (influenced by obsolete English wheal to suppurate, come to a head, from Middle English whelen, from Old English hwelian; perhaps akin to Latvian kvēle inflammation) of wale
: to make or cause wheals upon
now am whealed, one wide wound all of me — Robert Browning
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration (influenced by obsolete English wheal pustule, from Middle English whele; akin to Old English hwelian to suppurate) of wale
: a sudden elevation on the skin surface:
a. : a ridge or mark raised on the skin by or as if by a stroke of a whip : wale , weal , welt
his back covered with wheals from the lashing
b. : the transient lump occurring at the site of injection of a solution before the solution is normally dispersed
c. : a steep-sided elevation with a rounded or flat top that is often accompanied by itching or burning and forms the characteristic lesion of urticaria