verb (used with object)
1.
to make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to health; free from ailment.
2.
to bring to an end or conclusion, as conflicts between people or groups, usually with the strong implication of restoring former amity; settle; reconcile: They tried to heal the rift between them but were unsuccessful.
3.
to free from evil; cleanse; purify: to heal the soul.
verb (used without object)
4.
to effect a cure.
5.
(of a wound, broken bone, etc.) to become whole or sound; mend; get well (often followed by up or over ).
00:10
Heal
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
Origin:
before 900; Middle English helen, Old English hǣlan (cognate with Dutch helen, German heilen, Old Norse heila, Gothic hailjan), derivative of hāl hale1, whole
before 900; Middle English helen, Old English hǣlan (cognate with Dutch helen, German heilen, Old Norse heila, Gothic hailjan), derivative of hāl hale1, whole
Related forms
heal·a·ble, adjective
half-healed, adjective
pre·heal, verb (used with object)
un·heal·a·ble, adjective
un·healed, adjective
Antonyms
1, 2. irritate. 3. soil, infect.
1, 2. irritate. 3. soil, infect.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To Heal
Collins
World English Dictionary
heal (hiːl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to restore or be restored to health |
| 2. | (intr; |
| 3. | (tr) |
| a. to treat (a wound, etc) by assisting in its natural repair | |
| b. to cure (a disease or disorder) | |
| 4. | to restore or be restored to friendly relations, harmony, etc |
| [Old English hælan; related to Old Norse heila, Gothic hailjan, Old High German heilen; see | |
| 'healable | |
| —adj | |
| 'healer | |
| —n | |
| 'healing | |
| —n, —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
heal
O.E. hælan "make whole, sound and well," from P.Gmc. *khailaz (cf. O.S. helian, O.N. heila, O.Fris. hela, Du. heelen, Ger. heilen), lit. "to make whole," which is also the source of O.E. hal (see health). Heal-all as a native word for "panacea" is attested from 1577;
applied to various plants since 1853.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
heal (hēl)
v. healed, heal·ing, heals
To restore to health or soundness; cure.
To become well; return to sound health.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Now she must use them to heal, recover, and carry forward to the new life she desires.
By implication, a nurse is supposed to cure everything, to heal all wounds.
Autonomic systems should also be able to heal, to recover from damage by some means other than a suicidal crash.
Using surgical lasers and a light-activated dye, the researchers are prompting tissue to heal itself.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
