pealess

Pealess is an adjective describing the absence of a peal, particularly the loud, extended ringing produced by bells. The term is most often used in discussions of bells, clock towers, and carillons, where a peal refers to a distinctive, substantial sound event rather than a brief strike or short chime.

In English change ringing, a peal denotes a continuous sequence of changes rung by a set of bells that meets formal criteria and lasts for a considerable period, typically around 5,040 changes on eight bells and spanning several hours. A pealess performance, therefore, is any ringing that does not meet those criteria—such as a brief toll, a single chime, or a shorter run of changes.

The word is mainly encountered within bell-ringing communities, horology, and related musical or cultural contexts. It can describe practical situations (for example, a tower that is still ringing but not producing a full peal due to maintenance) or stylistic choices (choosing to toll or chime rather than peal during certain times).

Etymologically, pealess combines peal, the sound of bells, with the suffix -less, indicating absence. It is distinct from pealed, the past tense form meaning that bells have sounded as a peal.

See also: bell ringing, change ringing, carillon, tolling, chiming.