wassail

was·sail

 (wŏs′əl, wŏ-sāl′)

n.

1.

a. A salutation or toast given in drinking someone's health or as an expression of goodwill at a festivity.

b. The drink used in such toasting, commonly ale or wine spiced with roasted apples and sugar.

2. A festivity characterized by much drinking.

v. was·sailed, was·sail·ing, was·sails

v.tr.

To drink to the health of; toast.

v.intr.

To engage in or drink a wassail.

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[Middle English, contraction of wæshæil, be healthy, from Old Norse ves heill : ves, imperative sing. of vera, to be; see wes- in Indo-European roots + heill, healthy; see kailo- in Indo-European roots.]

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was′sail·er n.

Word History: Wassail is an English holiday drink consisting of spiced mulled wine, ale, or some other fermented beverage such as hard cider or mead. The word is also used as a verb: to drink someone's health, especially in the course of traveling around one's neighborhood, singing songs at neighbors' houses and receiving food and drink in return, is to wassail—as in the traditional carol "Here We Come A-Wassailing."¶Both the noun wassail and its associated verb come from one of the most popular expressions used in medieval England in toasting someone's health. The Middle English toast Wæshæil! comes from the Old Norse salutation Ves heill! which had been brought to Britain by the invading Danes in the 9th Century ad. The Anglo-Saxons, for their part, had a corresponding salutation, Wes þū hāl! which they used as a general greeting—variations of it can be found in Beowulf (Wæs þū, Hroðgar, hāl! says the young hero when he meets King Hrothgar) and in the West Saxon Gospels (at the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel greets Mary with Hāl wes þū!).¶These greetings and toasts literally mean "Be healthy!"—a sentiment that survives in the Modern English toast To your health! and in many toasts in other languages, such as the Spanish Salud! and the French Santé! which both simply mean "health." The Old English hāl, incidentally, means not only "healthy" (it is the origin of Modern English hale) but also "undamaged, entire" (it is also the origin of the word whole).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

wassail

(ˈwɒseɪl)

n

1. (Brewing) (formerly) a toast or salutation made to a person at festivities

2. (Brewing) a festivity when much drinking takes place

3. (Brewing) alcoholic drink drunk at such a festivity, esp spiced beer or mulled wine

4. (Anglicanism) the singing of Christmas carols, going from house to house

5. (Music, other) archaic a drinking song

vb

6. (Brewing) to drink the health of (a person) at a wassail

7. (Anglicanism) (intr) to go from house to house singing carols at Christmas

[C13: from Old Norse ves heill be in good health; related to Old English wes hāl; see hale¹]

ˈwassailer n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

was•sail

(ˈwɒs əl, -eɪl, ˈwæs-, wɒˈseɪl)

n.

1. (in early England) a salutation offered when presenting a cup of drink to a person or when drinking that person's health.

2. a festivity or revel with drinking of healths.

3. liquor, as hot spiced ale or wine, used in drinking another's health, esp. at Christmastime.

v.i.

4. to revel with drinking.

v.t.

5. to toast (a person).

[1175–1225; Middle English was-hail=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)]

was′sail•er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

wassail

Past participle: wassailed
Gerund: wassailing

Imperative

wassail

wassail

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	wassail - a punch made of sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roasted apples; especially at Christmas punch - an iced mixed drink usually containing alcohol and prepared for multiple servings; normally served in a punch bowl
Verb	1.	wassail - 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!" jollify, make happy, make merry, make whoopie, racket, whoop it up, revel fete, celebrate - have a celebration; "They were feting the patriarch of the family"; "After the exam, the students were celebrating" carouse, roister, riot - engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking; "They were out carousing last night"
	2.	wassail - propose a toast to; "Let us toast the birthday girl!"; "Let's drink to the New Year" salute, toast, drink, pledge give - propose; "He gave the first of many toasts at the birthday party" honor, honour, reward - bestow honor or rewards upon; "Today we honor our soldiers"; "The scout was rewarded for courageous action"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

wassail

(archaic) [ˈwɒseɪl]

A. N (= drink) → cerveza f especiada; (= festivity) → juerga f, fiesta f de borrachos

B. VI → beber mucho

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

wassail

(Brit, old)

n

(= toast) → Trinkspruch m; wassail cup → Kelch m

(= revelry) → Gelage nt

vi

(= revel) → zechen, ein Gelage abhalten

to go wassailing (= carol-singing) → ˜ als Sternsinger gehen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007