Obs. Forms: 1 hwelian, 5 whelyn, 6 whele, 6–7 wheale, 6– wheal. [Late OE. hwelian; pa. pple. ʓehweled, f. *hwele WHEAL sb.1]

1

  1.  intr. To suppurate, gather; to develop or become affected with wheals.

2

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., II. 282. Ʒif þæt lic heard si, utan leʓe þane læcedom þe þæt heard fordi hweliʓe.

3

a. 1050.  Liber Scintill., xv. (1889), 77. Multi … de bonorum profectibus inuidie liuore tabescunt, Mæniʓe … be goddra fremum andan mid wunde hweliað.

4

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 523/2. Whelyn, as soorys…, pustulo.

5

1530.  Palsgr., 780/2. Outher you have many wormes, or els you be nat well in your lyver, for your handes wheale a pace.

6

1602.  Marston, Antonio’s Rev., V. i. Now gin the leprous cores of ulcered sins Wheale to a heade.

7

1829.  Brockett, N. C. Gloss. (ed. 2).

8

  2.  trans. To suppurate or bring to a head; to affect with wheals. Only in pa. pple. suppurated, pustuled, pimpled.

9

c. 897.  K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., 275. Forðamðe hie [sc. speech] … ðæt ʓehwelede on ðæm oðrum ʓeopenað & utforlæt.

10

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., II. 208. Siþþan þat ʓeswel biþ ʓehweled & tobyrst.

11

1522.  Skelton, Why not to Court, 1182. Domingos nose that was wheled.

12

1556.  Withals, Dict., 76 b/2. Matter, as in a wounde when it is whealed, pus.

13

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 651. If they be whealed and filled with matter.

14

1676.  Wiseman, Surg., I. xiii. 63. I … washt the Parts whealed and swelled with spir. vini.

15

  Hence † Whealing vbl. sb., suppuration.

16

c. 1440.  [see VENTOSING vbl. sb.].

17

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 523/2. Whelynge, of sorys, pustulacio.

18