Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 cœlan, célan, 2–4 kelen, 4 keelen, 4–6 kele, 5 keyle, keille, 6 kiele, keale, 5–7 keele, 6– keel. [Com. Teut.: OE. cœlan, célan = Du. koelen, LG. kölen, OHG. chuolen, kualen (MHG. küelen, G. kühlen), ON. kœla (Da. køle, Sw. kyla):—*kōljan f. *kōl-: see COOL a. and v., and cf. AKELE.]
1. trans. To cool; to cause to lose heat; to refresh by cooling.
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter xxxviii. [xxxix.] 14. Ðæt ic sie ʓecoeled [L. ut refrigerer].
a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 18 March, 40. Se uplica sæ … celeð þæra tungla hæto.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12541. He … hent his hand and bleu þar-in Keland he made al hale his hand.
1382. Wyclif, Luke xvi. 24. Send Lazarus, that he dippe the laste part of his fyngur in watir, and kele my tunge.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron. XCIV. ii. In water [he] was cast, his fleshe to keele and lisse.
1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 168. And the North Weeste wynde haue kynde to kiele and drye too mych trees that be newe sett.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 483 b. You … may keepe your breath to keale your potage.
1828. Craven Dial., Keel, to cool.
1883. Almondbury & Huddersf. Gloss., s.v., A person may keel himself, or let his tea keel.
b. spec. To cool (a hot or boiling liquid) by stirring, skimming or pouring in something cold, in order to prevent it from boiling over; hence freq. in phr. to keel the pot. Also fig.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXII. 280. And lerede men a ladel bygge with a long stele, That cast for to kele [B.-text XIX. 275 kepe] a crokke and saue þe fatte aboue.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum, 11. Whenne hit welles up, thou schalt hit kele With a litel ale.
1536. Remedy Sedition, 21 a.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 930. While greasie Ione doth keele the pot.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., V. Wks. 1856, I. 56. Boy, keele your mouth, it runnes over. Ibid. (1607), What you will, in Anc. Drama, II. 199. Faith Doricus, thy brain boils, keel it, keel it, or all the fat’s in the fire.
1781. J. Hutton, Tour Caves (ed. 2), Gloss. (E. D. S.), Keel, to keep the pot from boiling over.
1846. Brockett, N. C. Gloss. (ed. 3), I. 243. There is a local game called ‘Keeling the pot,’ in which a girl says, ‘Mother, the pot’s boiling over’; and the answer is, ‘Get a ladle and keel it.’
† 2. fig. To make less violent, eager or ardent; to assuage, mitigate, lessen. Obs.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 141. Þa twelf kunreden sculden þer mide heore þurst kelen.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 25. To kele þi lust wiþ fulþe of þi licome.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxi. (Clement), 102. Þai cuth nocht keyle hyre care.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11464. His corage was kelit with age.
1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps. cii. Wks. (1876), 158. To slake and kele the hete of vnlawfull desyre.
1641. Milton, Reform., II. Wks. (1851), 44. Likely to lessen and keel the affections of the Subject.
† b. With personal object and const. of, from.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., iv. Thay … Cumfordun hor kenettes, to kele hom of care.
c. 1450. Merlin, 214. The kynge yet was not keled of the love of the stiwardes wif.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., iii. 118. I thee command, from cares the to keyle.
3. intr. To become cool or cold.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum, 19. Take a pownde of ryse, and sethe hom wele, Tyl that thay brostene; and let hom kele.
1450–80. trans. Secreta Secret., 26. If thou ete and haue noon appetite, Þe hete of thi stomak shalle kele.
c. 1485. E. E. Misc. (Warton Club), 78. Than let hit kele to hit be lewke-warme.
1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 188. Set it ouer the fire … and then let it keele awhile.
1883. [see sense 1].
4. fig. To grow cold, in feeling, etc.; to become less violent, fervid, or ardent, to ‘cool down’; to diminish in intensity. Const. of, from.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 32. Mi soru sal son kele. Ibid., 67. O pryde comes all his unsell, That neuer may slake ne kell.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xli. 13. He gars sa many kele fra godis luf.
c. 1460[?]. How a Marchande dyd hys Wyfe betray, 265, in Hazl., E. P. P. (1864), I. 208. The marchandys care be gan to kele.
1504. C’tess Richmond, trans. De Imitatione, IV. (E.E.T.S.), 265. Vnto me … that so often synnes, and so soon keles.
1818. Todd, s.v., ‘He keals,’ that is, he is cowardly; his courage cools. Lanc.
1891. Sheffield Gloss., Suppl. s.v., ‘The door never keels of beggars.’
