Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A small swelling on the skin, as from an insect bite, that usually itches or burns.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A pimple; a pustule.
  • noun Specifically An elevation of the skin, of varying size, usually elongated in form, caused by a stroke, as of a rod or whip, or constituting an eruption, as that of urticaria. See urticaria.
  • To produce a wheal upon.
  • To suppurate; form a sore or pustule.
  • noun A mine.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A pustule; a whelk.
  • noun (Mining) A mine.
  • noun A more or less elongated mark raised by a stroke; also, a similar mark made by any cause; a weal; a wale.
  • noun Specifically (Med.), a flat, burning or itching eminence on the skin, such as is produced by a mosquito bite, or in urticaria.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small raised swelling on the skin, often itchy, caused by a blow from a whip or an insect bite etc.
  • noun UK, dialect, mining A mine.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably alteration of wale.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Cornish hwel.

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Examples

  • T] he skin wheal responses induced by latex or histamine were not changed after listening to Beethoven.

    Archive 2007-01-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2007

  • L] istening to Mozart reduced allergen-induced skin wheal responses with a concomitant decrease of total and allergen-specific IgE production.

    Allegra non troppo Matthew Guerrieri 2007

  • L] istening to Mozart reduced allergen-induced skin wheal responses with a concomitant decrease of total and allergen-specific IgE production.

    Archive 2007-01-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2007

  • T] he skin wheal responses induced by latex or histamine were not changed after listening to Beethoven.

    Allegra non troppo Matthew Guerrieri 2007

  • A wheal size ≥ 3 mm was considered positive for sensitization.

    Soy Milk Doesn't Start Peanut Allergies Steve Carper 2008

  • Really allergic kids will get a “wheal and flare” response, where it goes white first, then gets red and puffy like a linear hive along the line of the scratch.

    You Raising Your Child Michael F. Roizen 2010

  • Really allergic kids will get a “wheal and flare” response, where it goes white first, then gets red and puffy like a linear hive along the line of the scratch.

    You Raising Your Child Michael F. Roizen 2010

  • A broad wheal from an old scar ran right across it from eye to chin, and by its contraction had turned up one side of the upper lip, so that three teeth were exposed in a perpetual snarl.

    Sole Music 2010

  • Really allergic kids will get a “wheal and flare” response, where it goes white first, then gets red and puffy like a linear hive along the line of the scratch.

    You Raising Your Child Michael F. Roizen 2010

  • Really allergic kids will get a “wheal and flare” response, where it goes white first, then gets red and puffy like a linear hive along the line of the scratch.

    You Raising Your Child Michael F. Roizen 2010

Comments

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  • I prefer weal.

    May 31, 2008