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tussie-mussie

American  
[tuhs-ee-muhs-ee] / ˈtʌs iˈmʌs i /

noun

  1. a small bunch of flowers or herbs.

  2. a cone-shaped holder for a bouquet.

Etymology

Origin of tussie-mussie

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English tusmose, tussemose; further origin uncertain; perhaps created through rhyming ( razzle-dazzle ( def. ), rhyming compound based on dazzle ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In order to avoid gazing on your beloved’s former make-out partners, you could stay home clutching a tussie-mussie.

From Slate • Jan. 19, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.