Obs. Forms: 5–6 whele, (5 whelle, wheel, 6 wheell, wele), 6–7 wheale, 7–8 wheal. [OE. *hwele (Somner), related to WHEAL v.1: cf. WHELK2.] A pimple, pustule.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 523/2. Whele, or whelke, soore (K. whelle, S. qwelke, P. wheel), pustula.
1530. Palsgr., 288/1. Whele in the hande, boubette, bubette; uessie.
1545. Raynalde, Byrth Mankynde, 120. Sumetymes happeneth to ye chyldren wheles and blysters on theyr tounges and mouth.
c. 1550. Lloyd, Treas. Health, U vj. Applye it to the scruphules and weles, it kylleth and brekyth them.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., K 3. I durst not let out a wheale for feare through it I should bleede to death.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXXII. vi. II. 437. It killeth the itch, and healeth angrie wheals.
1623. Hart, Arraignm. Ur., II. iii. 46. Small wheales like the small Poxe.
1706. Phil. Trans., XXV. 2317. When she scratched the little Pimples or Wheals that arose on its surface.
fig. 1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 71. The assemblees of ye people swarmyng about the same oratours, he called the pymples or little wheales of glorie.
b. attrib. wheal-worm, an insect producing wheals, as the itch-mite or harvest-bug.
1648. Wilkins, Math. Magick, I. xvi. 115. What strang discoveries of extream minute bodies (as lice wheal-worms, mites, and the like).
1658. Rowland, trans. Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 1095. The most vertuous Lady of Penruddock … was for ten years troubled with these wheal-worms.
1668. Charleton, Onomast., 56. Syrones in cute, Wheal-worms.
[1829. Good, Study Med. (ed. 3), V. 663. From the glossy wheals which its [sc. the harvest bug’s] bite produces, it has sometimes been called Wheal-Worm.]
Hence † Whealy a., pimply.
1611. Cotgr., Bothoral, whealie, poukie, pushie.
