annealed
|an-nealed|
/əˈniːl/
(anneal)
heat and cool to toughen
Etymology
'anneal' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'onǣlan', where 'on-' was a prefix and 'nǣlan' meant 'to make whole or heal'.
'anneal' changed from Old English 'onǣlan' into Middle English forms such as 'anelen' or 'anealen' and eventually became the modern English 'anneal', with the meaning shifting toward heat treatment of metals and glass.
Initially, it meant 'to make whole' or 'to heal', but over time it evolved into the technical sense 'to heat and cool metal or glass to alter its properties' that is used today.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'anneal'.
They annealed the steel to make it easier to shape.
Verb 2
to have been heated and then cooled slowly in order to reduce internal stresses, soften, or otherwise alter the physical properties of metal or glass.
The annealed components were less likely to crack during machining.
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Antonyms
Adjective 1
having been subjected to annealing; heat-treated to change mechanical properties (e.g., to reduce brittleness or relieve stress).
Annealed wire is easier to bend without breaking.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/15 06:07