Standard Lemma guide
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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
A toast to health, usually on a festive occasion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The beverage served during a wassail, especially one made of ale or wine flavoured with spices, sugar, roasted apples, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Revelry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A festive or drinking song or glee.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To toast, to drink to the health of another.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To drink wassail.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To go from house to house at Christmastime, singing carols.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a punch made of sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roasted apples; especially at Christmas
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: punch
verb
propose a toast to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: toast, drink, pledge, salute
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: honor, honour, reward
Narrower terms: give
verb
celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking; engage in uproarious festivities
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: revel, racket, make whoopie, make merry, make happy, whoop it up, jollify
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: celebrate, fete
Narrower terms: carouse, roister, riot
History
From Middle English wassail, from Old Norse ves heill (“be healthy!”), from the imperative of vesa (“to be”) + heill (“healthy”). The earliest documented use of the term is from the first part of the 12th century CE, in Geoffroy of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (see page's citations).
Across languages
7 source translations are retained for this English entry.
