wassail

1 of 2

noun

was·​sail ˈwä-səl How to pronounce wassail (audio)
also
wä-ˈsāl How to pronounce wassail (audio)
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

wassail

2 of 2

verb

wassailed; wassailing; wassails

intransitive verb

1
: to indulge in wassail : carouse
2
dialectal, England : to sing carols from house to house at Christmas

transitive verb

: to drink to the health or thriving of

Did you know?

The salutation wassail, from the Old Norse toast ves heill ("be well"), has accompanied English toast-making since the 12th century. By the 14th century, wassail was being used for the drink itself, and it eventually came to be used especially of a hot drink (of wine, beer, or cider with spices, sugar, and usually baked apples) drunk around Christmastime. This beverage warmed the stomachs and hearts of many Christmas revelers and was often shared with Christmas carolers. In the 14th century the verb wassail also came to describe the carousing associated with indulgence in the drink; later, it was used of other activities associated with wassail and the holiday season, like caroling. 17th-century farmers added cattle and trees to the wassail tradition by drinking to their health or vitality during wintertime festivities.

Examples of wassail in a Sentence

Noun woke up with a terrible headache from a wild wassail the night before Verb the knights feasted and wassailed for three days after the battlefield victory
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Each glass of this nonalcoholic wassail is garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon stick. Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023 Enjoy Harvest Cider, special wassail cocktails, live music, costume contest and the Blessing of the Trees. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2024 Get The Recipe 50 of 50 Williams Family Wassail One of the most traditional holiday drinks of them all, wintertime wassail gets a contemporary update in this flavorful drink recipe. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023 One variation involves people traveling door-to-door singing traditional songs and spreading good wishes while carrying a bowl of wassail. Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023 Reception from 5-8 p.m. (360 K St.; see Facebook event) Anchorage Distillery — Paintings and prints by Laura Dewey with a limited special edition cocktail menu, including whiskey wassail. Anchorage Daily News, 4 Nov. 2021 By the era of Downton Abbey, the practice of drinking wassail had moved to Christmas and the roasted apples served only as flavoring and decoration. The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook, Town & Country, 4 Nov. 2020 Below are 21 recipes (from some of America’s finest bartenders) to try this season—from a delicious wassail that packs a punch to a rum-forward coffee drink reminiscent of Irish coffee, and beyond. Karla Alindahao, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2023 Each performance is followed by Trinity’s traditional Wassail Party (included in ticket price), where guests can talk with the performers while enjoying holiday treats and hot wassail. oregonlive, 14 Dec. 2022
Verb
This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England. Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023 Reisinger's Apple Country, located in Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake, also has a wassailing event on the horizon. Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2018 There was toasting and wassailing all around And cinnamon sticks in yule logs were wrapped and bound. Marc Bona, cleveland.com, 26 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wassail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wæs hæil, washayl, from Old Norse ves heill be well, from ves (imperative singular of vera to be) + heill healthy — more at was, whole

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wassail was in the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near wassail

Cite this Entry

“Wassail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wassail. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wassail

1 of 2 noun
was·​sail ˈwäs-əl How to pronounce wassail (audio)
also
wä-ˈsā(ə)l How to pronounce wassail (audio)
1
: an early English toast to someone's health
2
: wild drinking : revelry

wassail

2 of 2 verb
1
: to go on a wild drinking spree : carouse
2
: to drink to the health of
Etymology

Noun

Middle English wæs hæil, washayl, "a toast to someone's health," from early Norse ves heill "be well," from heill "healthy" — related to hail entry 3, hale entry 1

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