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heal

 - 5 dictionary results

heal

[heel]
–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 fol. by up or over).

Origin:
bef. 900; ME helen, OE hǣlan (c. D helen, G heilen, ON heila, Goth hailjan), deriv. of hāl hale 1 , whole


heal⋅a⋅ble, adjective


1. See cure. 2. compose, soothe. 3. purge, disinfect.


1, 2. irritate. 3. soil, infect.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To heal
heal   (hēl)   
v.   healed, heal·ing, heals

v.   tr.
  1. To restore to health or soundness; cure. See Synonyms at cure.

  2. To set right; repair: healed the rift between us.

  3. To restore (a person) to spiritual wholeness.

v.   intr.
To become whole and sound; return to health.

[Middle English healen, from Old English hǣlan; see kailo- in Indo-European roots.]
heal'a·ble adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: heal
Pronunciation: 'hE(&)l
Function: transitive verb
1 : to make sound or whole especially in bodily condition
2 : to cure of disease or disorder <heal injured tissues> heal intransitive senses
1 : to return to a sound state heals>
2 : to effect a cure —heal·er /'hE-l&r/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

heal (hēl)
v. healed, heal·ing, heals

  1. To restore to health or soundness; cure.

  2. 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.
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