wassail
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.
wassails
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pluralof wassail.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof wassail (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
wassailnouna salutation wishing health to a person, used in England in early times when presenting a cup of drink or when drinking to the person.
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 January I attend one of Kent’s growing number of wassails, a half-pagan, half-Christian ceremony in which an apple tree is fed a tribute of cider to encourage a good harvest later in the year.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 9, 2020
The fight against evil spirits continues the following month in the orchards of southern England, where Apple wassails, or Apple Howling ceremonies, are common.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2014
He is wit's pedler, and retails his wares At wakes and wassails, meetings, markets, fairs; And we that sell by gross, the Lord doth know, Have not the grace to grace it with such show.
From An Introduction to Shakespeare by H. N. MacCracken
Warbeck, therefore, had little in common with the ruder chiefs around; he did not summon them to his board; nor attend at their noisy wassails.
From The Pilgrims of the Rhine by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton
Thou shalt have possets, wassails fine, Not made of ale but spiced wine; To make thy maids and self free mirth, All sitting near the glittering hearth.
From The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3) by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Bullen
