Peal

A peal is a term for a loud ringing of bells and the sound that results from it. In general usage, a peal can refer to the bells themselves or to a prolonged, resonant ringing such as a “peal of bells.” The expression is also used metaphorically, as in a “peal of laughter,” to describe a loud, sustained series of sounds.

In the specialized field of change ringing, peal has a more precise meaning. Change ringing is a tradition in which a sequence of different permutations of the bells is rung according to a specific plan or method. A peal in this context is a continuous performance of a large number of changes on five or more bells, typically lasting several hours and containing at least 5,000 changes with no deliberate repetition of a change. A quarter-peal is a shorter performance, commonly around 1,250 to 1,260 changes, depending on the number of bells used. Performances are planned in advance by a team of ringers and are often recorded on a church’s peal board.

Origin and usage: the word peal has long been part of English linguistic usage, referring to the ringing of bells since medieval times. The term also appears in everyday language to denote a single, loud ringing or a burst of sound, such as laughter, and is most commonly associated with church towers and ceremonial occasions.