noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈtæsəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æsəl
CMU ARPABET:T AE1 S AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads from which at one end protrudes a cord on which the ball is hung, and which may have loose, dangling threads at the other end (often used as decoration along the bottom of garments, curtains or other hangings).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The panicle on a male plant of maize, which consists of loose threads with anthers on them.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The loose hairs at the end of a braid.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A narrow silk ribbon, or similar, sewn to a book to be put between the pages.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A piece of board that is laid upon a wall as a sort of plate, to give a level surface to the ends of floor timbers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A kind of bur used in dressing cloth; a teasel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A thin plate of gold on the back of a bishop's gloves.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Alternative form of tassell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To adorn with tassels.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: betassel
Antonyms: none provided
10
verb
Meaning 10
To put forth a tassel or flower.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
Examples
Maize is a crop that tassels.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
adornment consisting of a bunch of cords fastened at one end
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: adornment
Narrower terms: sword knot
History
Etymology
From Middle English tassel, from Old French tassel, from Latin tāxillus (“small cube”), from tālus (“ankle”).
See tassell.
Across languages
Translations
71 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
tossel
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Arabic:
شُرَّابَة
(šurrāba)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Armenian:
ծոպ
(cop)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Azerbaijani:
qotaz
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Belarusian:
кутасік
(kutasik)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Bulgarian:
пискюл
(piskjul)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Catalan:
borla
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Chinese:
流蘇 /流苏
(liúsū)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Czech:
střapec
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Danish:
kvast
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Dutch:
kwast
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Esperanto:
kvasto
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Finnish:
tupsu
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
French:
gland
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Galician:
teixelo
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Galician:
mirfallo
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Galician:
milfeira
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Galician:
bolra
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Galician:
floco
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
German:
Quaste
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
German:
Klunker
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
German:
Troddel
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Ancient Greek:
θύσανος
(thúsanos)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Hebrew:
צִיצִית
(tzitzít)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Hungarian:
bojt
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Hungarian:
rojt
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Irish:
aigilín
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Italian:
nappa
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Macedonian:
висулка
(visulka)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Macedonian:
китка
(kitka)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Malay:
jurai
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Māori:
hukahuka
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Māori:
patapata
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Māori:
kihukihu
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Norwegian:
dusk
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Persian:
منگوله
(mangule)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Polish:
frędzel
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Polish:
kutas
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Portuguese:
borla
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Russian:
ки́сточка
(kístočka)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Scottish Gaelic:
cluigean
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Serbo-Croatian:
kićanka
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Serbo-Croatian:
kita
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Serbo-Croatian:
rojta
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Spanish:
borla
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Spanish:
fleco
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Swedish:
tofs
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Tagalog:
lambo
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Thai:
พู่ห้อย
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Turkish:
makrama
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Turkish:
püskül
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Turkish:
kotaz
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Ottoman Turkish:
پوسكول
(püskül)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Ukrainian:
китиця
(kytycja)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Ukrainian:
кутас
(kutas)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Vietnamese:
ngù
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Yiddish:
טראָלד
(trold)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Yiddish:
קוואַסט
(kvast)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Yiddish:
קוטאַש
(kutash)
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Yup'ik:
kistaq
— ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads
Afrikaans:
baard
— male inflorescence of maize
Bulgarian:
свила
(svila)
— male inflorescence of maize
French:
panicule
— male inflorescence of maize
Galician:
curuto
— male inflorescence of maize
Galician:
candea
— male inflorescence of maize
Galician:
cenceno
— male inflorescence of maize
Galician:
mirfia
— male inflorescence of maize
Galician:
pabón
— male inflorescence of maize
Portuguese:
barbas de milho
— male inflorescence of maize
Dutch:
franje
— loose hairs at the end of a braid
Spanish:
franja
— loose hairs at the end of a braid
