definitions

wassail

[ wos-uh l, -eyl, was-, wo-seyl ]
/ ˈwɒs əl, -eɪl, ˈwæs-, wɒˈseɪl /
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noun

a salutation wishing health to a person, used in England in early times when presenting a cup of drink or when drinking to the person.
a festivity or revel with drinking of healths.
liquor for drinking and wishing health to others on festive occasions, especially spiced ale, as on Christmas Eve and Twelfth-night.
Archaic. a song sung in wassailing.

verb (used without object)

to revel with drinking.

verb (used with object)

to drink to the health or success of; toast.

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RELATED WORDS

ceremony, festivity, carousal, frolic, blowout, festival, merrymaking, merriment, shindig, joviality, hullabaloo, revelry, gala, party, spree, blast, bash, hoopla, jubilee, carouse

Nearby words

wasp, wasp waist, waspish, wasps, the, waspy, wassail, wassermann, wassermann antibody, wassermann reaction, wassermann test, wassermannfast

Origin of wassail

1175–1225; Middle English was-hail, equivalent to was be (Old English wæs, variant of wes, imperative of wesan to be; akin to was) + hail hale1, in good health (< Old Norse heill hale); replacing Old English wæs hāl be hale or whole. See whole, heal

Related forms

was·sail·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wassail

British Dictionary definitions for wassail

wassail

/ (ˈwɒseɪl) /

noun

verb

to drink the health of (a person) at a wassail
(intr) to go from house to house singing carols at Christmas

Derived Forms

wassailer, noun

Word Origin for wassail

C13: from Old Norse ves heill be in good health; related to Old English wes hāl; see hale 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012