housel

American  

[hou-zuhl] / ˈhaʊ zəl /

noun

1. the Eucharist.

2. the act of administering or receiving the Eucharist.

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verb (used with object)

houseled, houseling, houselled, houselling

1. to administer the Eucharist to.

housel British  

/ ˈhaʊzəl /

noun

1. a medieval name for Eucharist

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verb

1. (tr) to give the Eucharist to (someone)

Etymology

Origin of housel

First recorded before 900; Middle English; (noun) Old English hūsl “the Eucharist,” probably originally, “offering”; cognate with Old Norse hūsl, Gothic hunsl “sacrifice, offering”

Example Sentences

This holy bread we taste when we with faith go to housel; because the holy housel is spiritually Christ's body; and through that we are redeemed from eternal death.

From The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church Containing the Sermones Catholici, or Homilies of ?lfric, in the Original Anglo-Saxon, with an English Version. Volume I. by Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham

It is the people's wont, after the housel, to go up step by step to the vessel, and taste the heavenly fluid.

From The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church Containing the Sermones Catholici, or Homilies of ?lfric, in the Original Anglo-Saxon, with an English Version. Volume I. by Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham

I pray you let me go upon my way, for there are those whom I would shrive and housel.

From Sir Nigel by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir

This has purloined the wages of the labourer; it has reduced him by degrees to housel with the spider and the bat, and to feed with the pig.

From Cottage Economy To Which Is Added The Poor Man's Friend by Cobbett, William

And in a ladychapel another taking housel all to his own cheek.

From Ulysses by Joyce, James