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

He'll wed ye and housel ye for a couple of roses.

From The Forest Lovers by Hewlett, Maurice Henry

The little artist was standing at the open door of the housel "At last!" he exclaimed.

From The Children of the World by Heyse, Paul

She said that he had a fair sweet death through God His goodness with masspriest to be shriven, holy housel and sick men's oil to his limbs.

From Ulysses by Joyce, James

One is sustenance of the body; the second, of the soul; the third is the partaking of the holy housel.

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