Adjacent Words

Wassail definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WASSAIL, n.
1. A liquor made of apples, sugar and ale, formerly much used by English good fellows.
2. A drunken bout.
3. A merry song. [This word in unknown in America.]
WASSAIL, v.i. To hold a merry drinking meeting.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a punch made of sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roasted apples; especially at Christmas v
1: celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking; engage in uproarious festivities; "The members of the wedding party made merry all night"; "Let's whoop it up--the boss is gone!" [syn: revel, racket, make whoopie, make merry, make happy, whoop it up, jollify, wassail]
2: propose a toast to; "Let us toast the birthday girl!"; "Let's drink to the New Year" [syn: toast, drink, pledge, salute, wassail]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English wæs hæil, washayl, from Old Norse ves heill be well, from ves (imperativesingular of vera to be) + heill healthy — more at was, whole Date: 12th century 1. an early English toast to someone's health 2. a hot drink that is made with wine, beer, or cider, spices, sugar, and usually baked apples and is traditionally served in a large bowl especially at Christmastime 3. riotous drinking ; revelry II. verb Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to indulge in wassail ; carouse 2. dialect England to sing carols from house to house at Christmas transitive verb to drink to the health or thriving of

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. archaic --n. 1 a festive occasion; a drinking-bout. 2 a kind of liquor drunk on such an occasion. --v.intr. make merry; celebrate with drinking etc. Phrases and idioms: wassail-bowl (or -cup) a bowl or cup from which healths were drunk, esp. on Christmas Eve and Twelfth Night. Derivatives: wassailer n. Etymology: ME wæs hæil etc. f. ON ves heill, corresp. to OE wes hal 'be in health', a form of salutation: cf. HALE(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wassail Was"sail, a. Of or pertaining to wassail, or to a wassail; convivial; as, a wassail bowl. ``Awassail candle, my lord, all tallow.'' --Shak. Wassail bowl, a bowl in which wassail was mixed, and placed upon the table. ``Spiced wassail bowl.'' --J. Fletcher. ``When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in a huge silver vessel . . . Its appearance was hailed with acclamation, being the wassail bowl so renowned in Christmas festivity.'' --W. Irving. Wassail cup, a cup from which wassail was drunk.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wassail Was"sail, n. [AS. wes h[=a]l (or an equivalent form in another dialect) be in health, which was the form of drinking a health. The form wes is imperative. See Was, and Whole.] 1. An ancient expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to some one. Geoffrey of Monmouth relates, on the authority of Walter Calenius, that this lady [Rowena], the daughter of Hengist, knelt down on the approach of the king, and, presenting him with a cup of wine, exclaimed, Lord king w[ae]s heil, that is, literally, Health be to you. --N. Drake. 2. An occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse. ``In merry wassail he . . . peals his loud song.'' --Sir W. Scott. The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail. --Shak. The victors abandoned themselves to feasting and wassail. --Prescott. 3. The liquor used for a wassail; esp., a beverage formerly much used in England at Christmas and other festivals, made of ale (or wine) flavored with spices, sugar, toast, roasted apples, etc.; -- called also lamb's wool. A jolly wassail bowl, A wassail of good ale. --Old Song. 4. A festive or drinking song or glee. [Obs.] Have you done your wassail! 'T is a handsome, drowsy ditty, I'll assure you. --Beau. & Fl.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wassail Was"sail, v. i. To hold a wassail; to carouse. Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in dancing, caroling, and wassailing. --Sir P. Sidney.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Carousal, revelry, revels, saturnalia, debauch, orgies, potation, compotation, convivial entertainment, jollification, drunken bout.

Moby Thesaurus

bacchanal, bacchanalia, bacchanalian, bat, bender, binge, bout, bust, carousal, carouse, celebration, compotation, debauch, drinking bout, drunk, drunken carousal, frolic, guzzle, hell, high jinks, jag, orgy, potation, pub-crawl, revel, revelment, riot, roister, skylarking, soak, spree, symposium, tear, toot, whoopee