anneal

verb an·neal \ə-ˈnēl\

: to heat and then slowly cool (metal, glass, etc.) in order to make it stronger

Full Definition of ANNEAL

transitive verb

a : to heat and then cool (as steel or glass) usually for softening and making less brittle; also : to cool slowly usually in a furnace

b : to heat and then cool (double-stranded nucleic acid) in order to separate strands and induce combination at lower temperature with complementary strands

: strengthen, toughen

intransitive verb

: to be capable of combining with complementary nucleic acid by a process of heating and cooling

See anneal defined for English-language learners

See anneal defined for kids

Origin of ANNEAL

Middle English anelen to set on fire, from Old English onǣlan, from on + ǣlan to set on fire, burn, from āl fire; akin to Old English ǣled fire, Old Norse eldr

First Known Use: 1664

Rhymes with ANNEAL

aiguille, all-wheel, appeal, big deal, big wheel, bilge keel, bonemeal, bonspiel, cam wheel, Castile, cartwheel, chainwheel, chenille, cogwheel, conceal, congeal, cornmeal, done deal, eared seal, enwheel, fifth wheel, fish meal, flywheel, forefeel, for real, four-wheel, freewheel, fur seal, genteel, get real, good deal, great seal, handwheel, harp seal, ideal, inchmeal, mild steel, mill wheel, misdeal, mobile, Mobile, monk seal, mouthfeel, New Deal, newsreel, nosewheel, oatmeal, O'Neal, pastille, piecemeal, pinwheel, prayer wheel, raw deal, repeal, reveal, schlemiel, self-heal, side-wheel, singspiel, somedeal, spike heel, stabile, tahsil, Tar Heel, thumbwheel, unreel, unseal, worm wheel

ANNEALED Defined for Kids

anneal

verb an·neal \ə-ˈnēl\

an·nealedan·neal·ing

Definition of ANNEAL for Kids

: to heat (as glass or steel) and then cool so as to toughen and make less brittle

Medical Dictionary

anneal

transitive verb an·neal \ə-ˈnē(ə)l\

Medical Definition of ANNEAL

: to heat and then cool (as steel or glass) usually for softening and making less brittle

: to heat and then cool (double-stranded nucleic acid) in order to separate strands and induce combination at lower temperatures especially with complementary strands

intransitive verb

: to be capable of combining with complementary nucleic acid by a process of heating and cooling <some bacterial nucleic acid anneals well with eukaryotic DNA>