anneals
|an-neal|
/əˈniːl/
(anneal)
heat and cool to toughen
Etymology
'anneal' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'onhelan', where the prefix 'on-' meant 'in, into' and 'helan' meant 'to heal' or 'make whole'.
'anneal' changed from the Old English word 'onhelan' through Middle English forms (e.g. 'anelen'/'anhelen') and eventually became the modern English 'anneal'.
Initially it meant 'to heal' or 'make whole'; over time it evolved into the modern technical meanings of 'heat-treat to alter physical properties' and metaphorical senses of 'strengthen'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to heat (metal or glass) and then cool slowly in order to relieve internal stresses, soften, toughen, or improve ductility.
The technician anneals the tempered glass to reduce internal stress.
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Verb 2
to cause complementary strands of nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) to bind together by cooling; to hybridize.
During the cooling step the primer anneals to the template strand.
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Verb 3
figuratively, to strengthen or make more resilient (by practice or gradual exposure).
Regular exposure to stress anneals his resolve.
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Last updated: 2025/08/15 07:07