Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AN-NEAL', v.t. [Sax. anælan, on-ælan, to kindle or inflame, to heat; from ælan, to kindle, to heat, or bake, and to anoint with oil. Sax. æl, oil. Hence it may be inferred, that oil is named from inflaming, or burning.]

1. To heat; to heat, as glass and iron vessels, for the purpose of rendering them less brittle, or to fix colors; vulgarly called healing. This is done by heating the metal nearly to fluidity, in an oven or furnace, and suffering it to cool gradually. Metals made hard and brittle by hammering, by this process recover their malleability. The word is applied also to the baking of tiles. – Encyc. Bailey. Ash.
2. To temper by heat; and Shenstone uses it for tempering by cold.