Emily Dickinson Lexicon

anneal (annealed), v. [an- + OE ælan, set on fire; burn; bake (tiles); fuse minerals by heat; burn glaze or enamel on pottery, glass, or metal; NW says: < OE ælan, kindle, inflame, heat, anoint with oil < OE æl, oil.]

Temper; strengthen; fortify; prove; refine by fire; make malleable and less brittle by subjecting to heat; subject to fire for strengthening and beautification; [fig.] anoint as sacred; sanctify by distress; purify by sacrifice.