WASSAIL

wassail

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

toast, drink, pledge, salute, wassail

(verb) propose a toast to; “Let us toast the birthday girl!”; “Let’s drink to the New Year”

revel, racket, make whoopie, make merry, make happy, whoop it up, jollify, wassail

(verb) 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!”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

wassail (countable and uncountable, plural wassails)

A toast to health, usually on a festive occasion.

The beverage served during a wassail, especially one made of ale or wine flavoured with spices, sugar, roasted apples, etc.

Revelry.

A festive or drinking song or glee.

Verb

wassail (third-person singular simple present wassails, present participle wassailing, simple past and past participle wassailed)

(transitive) To toast, to drink to the health of another.

(intransitive) To drink wassail.

To go from house to house at Christmastime, singing carols.

Synonyms

• (go from house to house, singing carols): carol

Source: Wiktionary

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Was"sail, n. Etym: [AS. wes hal (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 wæs 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.

Was"sail, a.

Definition: 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.

Was"sail, v. i.

Definition: To hold a wassail; to carouse. Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in dancing, caroling, and wassailing. Sir P. Sidney.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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