beal v

beal v Also sp beel [Scots, nIr, nEngl dial (EDD beal v.3 1, SND beal, beel v., n.2 1)] chiefly Appalachians, PA, OH Cf bealed ppl adj, bealing n

To fester, suppurate; to issue from the body along with pus.

1869 Lippincott’s Mag. Lit. Sci. Educ. 3.314 PA, All, including the educated, say “bealing” and “bealed,” in speaking of a common sore or boil. The noun “bealing,” and the past tense “bealed,” suppurated, were once authorized, but they are now obsolete. 1901 Colman’s Rural World 54.235 csOH, A year ago last winter he [=a dog] began shaking his head as though it were bealing, or something had gotten in his right ear. 1895 DN 1.384 swPA, Beal: to suppurate. 1916 DN 4.337 cs, wPA, SC,Beal. 1917 DN 4.408 wNC, SC, Bealin’. . . Suppurating. “It went to bealin’.” 1939 AmSp 14.155 WV. 1940 New Castle News (PA) 29 June 11/3, Mrs. Arthur Prioletti . . is quite ill at home, suffering from a bealing finger. 1942 Hench Coll. swVA, A doctor told me that they meant [by the word ‘beel’] any kind of infection, and they would say ‘my arm is beeling’ or ‘my foot has beeled.’ 1944 PADS 2.26 cwOH, cwNC, Beal [bil]. 1965–70 DARE (Qu. BB36, When there’s an open sore and . . yellowish stuff is coming out of it, you say it’s _____) Infs MI27, 55, NY105, SC11, Bealing; PA237, Bealing; he bealed; (Qu. BB37, When yellowish stuff comes out of a person’s ear, he has a _____) Inf MI55, Bealing ear. 1979 Progress (Clearfield PA) 7 May 10/5, We once found a Dalmation who had porcupine quills in his mouth and they bealed out of his nose. 1995 Brophy Coll. 4 swMO (as of c1960), Beal. [T]o ulcerate (E. Tenn., reported by J. W. Krutch). 2000 NADS Letters cPA, My father-in-law . . lives and grew up in rural (central) PA. As one of thirteen children on a farm, he has about a sixth grade education. He just turned 85 years old. . . [O]ne more word I found odd. Beel or beal. As in, “If you leave the sliver alone it will beal out.”