What does wassail mean?

Definitions for wassail
ˈwɒs əl, -eɪl, ˈwæs-, wɒˈseɪlwas·sail

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word wassail.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. wassailverb

    a punch made of sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roasted apples; especially at Christmas

  2. revel, racket, make whoopie, make merry, make happy, whoop it up, jollify, wassailverb

    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!"

  3. toast, drink, pledge, salute, wassailverb

    propose a toast to

    "Let us toast the birthday girl!"; "Let's drink to the New Year"

Wiktionary

  1. wassailnoun

    A toast to health, usually at a festival.

  2. wassailnoun

    The beverage served during a wassail.

  3. wassailnoun

    Revelry.

  4. wassailverb

    To toast, to drink to the health of another.

  5. wassailverb

    To drink wassail.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Wassailnoun

    Etymology: from wæs hœl , your health, Saxon.

    The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse,
    Keeps wassail, and the swagg’ring upspring reels. William Shakespeare.

Wikipedia

  1. Wassail

    Wassail (, WOSS-əl, -⁠ayl, most likely from Old Norse "ves heill") is a beverage made from hot mulled cider, ale, or wine and spices, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, an ancient English Christmastide drinking ritual and salutation either involved in door-to-door charity-giving or used to ensure a good harvest the following year.

ChatGPT

  1. wassail

    Wassail is a traditional British ritual or festivity, usually celebrated during Christmas or New Year, involving drinking and merrymaking. It also refers to the spiced alcoholic beverage, typically made of mulled cider, wine or ale, that is consumed during this celebration. The term wassail is taken from the Middle English phrase 'waes hael', meaning 'be well' or 'be in good health'.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Wassailnoun

    an ancient expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to some one

  2. Wassailnoun

    an occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse

  3. Wassailnoun

    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

  4. Wassailnoun

    a festive or drinking song or glee

  5. Wassailadjective

    of or pertaining to wassail, or to a wassail; convivial; as, a wassail bowl

  6. Wassailverb

    to hold a wassail; to carouse

  7. Etymology: [AS. wes hl (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.]

Wikidata

  1. Wassail

    Wassail refers both to the salute 'Waes Hail' and to the drink of wassail, a hot mulled cider traditionally drunk as an integral part of wassailing, an ancient southern English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Wassail

    wos′āl, n. the salutation uttered in drinking a person's health, a festive occasion: a drunken bout: a liquor consisting of ale with roasted apples, sugar, nutmeg, and toast, once much used on festive occasions.—v.i. to hold a wassail or merry drinking-meeting: to drink to the health of.—ns. Wass′ail-bout, a carouse; Wass′ail-bowl, -cup, a cup from which healths were drunk; Wass′ailer, one who wassails or drinks wassail: a reveller. [A.S. wes hál, 'may you be in health,' the salutation used in pledging another, which the Normans transferred to mean 'a carousal.']

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of wassail in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of wassail in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Popularity rank by frequency of use

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Translations for wassail

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"wassail." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/wassail>.

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