weal

/wi:l/

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Word: Weal

Part of Speech: Noun

Basic Definition: A "weal" is a raised mark or bump on the skin. It often appears after a person has been hit, such as by a whip, or it can be a reaction to something like an allergy.

Usage Instructions:

• Common Context: You might hear this word in discussions about injuries, skin reactions, or medical situations.
• How to Use in a Sentence: "After the bee sting, a weal formed on her arm."

Example Sentences:

1. "The athlete showed her weals from the tough training sessions."
2. "He scratched his arm, and a red weal appeared almost immediately."

Advanced Usage:

In medical contexts, the term "weal" is often used to describe the physical manifestation of an allergic reaction. It can also be found in literature when describing injury or pain.

Word Variants:

• Wealed (adjective): Describing something that has weals.
• Wealing (verb, less common): This is not frequently used, but it could refer to the act of forming a weal.

Different Meanings:

While "weal" primarily refers to a raised mark on the skin, it can also refer to a state of happiness or well-being in older or more literary contexts. However, this usage is quite rare today.

Synonyms:

• Bump
• Swelling
• Whelp (in some contexts)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There are no widely recognized idioms or phrasal verbs specifically using the word "weal." However, discussing skin reactions may involve phrases like "break out" (as in breaking out in hives).

Summary:

The word "weal" is specifically related to a raised mark on the skin due to injury or allergic reactions.

Academic

Noun

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

Synonyms

• wale
• welt
• wheal