Obs. Forms: 1 hwelian, 5 whelyn, 6 whele, 67 wheale, 6 wheal. [Late OE. hwelian; pa. pple. ʓehweled, f. *hwele WHEAL sb.1]
1. intr. To suppurate, gather; to develop or become affected with wheals.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 282. Ʒif þæt lic heard si, utan leʓe þane læcedom þe þæt heard fordi hweliʓe.
a. 1050. Liber Scintill., xv. (1889), 77. Multi de bonorum profectibus inuidie liuore tabescunt, Mæniʓe be goddra fremum andan mid wunde hweliað.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 523/2. Whelyn, as soorys , pustulo.
1530. Palsgr., 780/2. Outher you have many wormes, or els you be nat well in your lyver, for your handes wheale a pace.
1602. Marston, Antonios Rev., V. i. Now gin the leprous cores of ulcered sins Wheale to a heade.
1829. Brockett, N. C. Gloss. (ed. 2).
2. trans. To suppurate or bring to a head; to affect with wheals. Only in pa. pple. suppurated, pustuled, pimpled.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregorys Past. C., 275. Forðamðe hie [sc. speech] ðæt ʓehwelede on ðæm oðrum ʓeopenað & utforlæt.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 208. Siþþan þat ʓeswel biþ ʓehweled & tobyrst.
1522. Skelton, Why not to Court, 1182. Domingos nose that was wheled.
1556. Withals, Dict., 76 b/2. Matter, as in a wounde when it is whealed, pus.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 651. If they be whealed and filled with matter.
1676. Wiseman, Surg., I. xiii. 63. I washt the Parts whealed and swelled with spir. vini.
Hence † Whealing vbl. sb., suppuration.
c. 1440. [see VENTOSING vbl. sb.].
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 523/2. Whelynge, of sorys, pustulacio.