verb to heat and then cool (metal or glass) so as to toughen it or reduce its brittleness
In metallurgy, annealing is a heat treatment process used to soften metals and increase their ductility.
In ceramics, annealing is a process of heating and cooling to remove internal stresses and make the material more durable.
In biomedical engineering, annealing is used to modify the properties of materials used in medical devices and implants.
In glassblowing, annealing is a process of slowly cooling hot glass objects to relieve internal stresses and increase strength.
In the context of writing, 'anneal' can be used metaphorically to describe the process of refining or perfecting a piece of writing through careful editing and revision.
Psychologists may use 'anneal' to describe the process of helping clients to reframe and restructure their thoughts and beliefs in order to promote mental and emotional well-being.
Engineers may use 'anneal' to refer to the process of heating and then slowly cooling a material to reduce its hardness and increase its ductility.
Chemists may use 'anneal' to describe the process of heating a material to a specific temperature and then allowing it to cool slowly in order to remove internal stresses and improve its structure.
In manufacturing, 'anneal' is often used to describe the process of heating and cooling metal or glass to increase its strength and durability.