This is the 5028th most frequent Dutch word.
heylen
To heal or recover.
The word 'heylen' is used here in its older, poetic sense meaning to recuperate or recover.
Ik moest even rusten onder de grote eik om te heylen.
I had to rest under the big oak tree to recover.
Here, 'heylen' is utilized in a more literal sense, referring to salvaging or protecting something in a precarious situation.
Tijdens de storm zagen we hoe de kapitein het schip probeerde te heylen.
During the storm, we saw how the captain tried to save the ship.
In this sentence, 'heylen' is employed metaphorically, indicating the act of sustaining or strengthening something.