tassel

¹tas·sel

noun \ˈta-səl, oftenest of corn ˈtä-, ˈtȯ-\

: a decoration made of a bunch of strings fastened at one end

: a flower or group of flowers at the top of a cornstalk

Full Definition of TASSEL

1

:  a dangling ornament made by laying parallel a bunch of cords or threads of even length and fastening them at one end

2

:  something resembling a tassel; especially :  the terminal male inflorescence of some plants and especially corn

Illustration of TASSEL

Origin of TASSEL

Middle English, clasp, tassel, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *tassellus, alteration of Latin taxillus small die; akin to Latin talus anklebone, die

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with TASSEL

acyl, castle, facile, gracile, hassle, passel, vassal, wrestle

²tassel

verb

tasseled or tasselledtassel·ing or tassel·ling \-s(ə-)liŋ\

Definition of TASSEL

transitive verb

:  to adorn with tassels

intransitive verb

:  to put forth tassel inflorescences

First Known Use of TASSEL

14th century

Rhymes with TASSEL

dossal, fossil, jostle, throstle, warsle, wassail