wassail
[ wos-uhl, -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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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of wassail
OTHER WORDS FROM wassail
was·sail·er, nounWords nearby wassail
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences 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 of wassail
wassailer, nounWord 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
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