tassel

tassel
tasseler; esp. Brit., tasseller, n.tasselly; esp. Brit., tasselly, adj.
/tas"euhl/, n., v., tasseled, tasseling or (esp. Brit.) tasselled, tasselling.
n.
1. a pendent ornament consisting commonly of a bunch of threads, small cords, or other strands hanging from a roundish knob or head, used on clothing, in jewelry, on curtains, etc.
2. something resembling this, as the inflorescence of certain plants, esp. that at the summit of a stalk of corn.
v.t.
3. to furnish or adorn with tassels.
4. to form into a tassel or tassels.
5. to remove the tassel from (growing corn) in order to improve the crop.
v.i.
6. (of corn) to put forth tassels (often fol. by out).
[1250-1300; ME (n.) < OF tas(s)el fastening for cloak < VL *tassellus, b. L tessella (dim. of tessera die for gaming) and taxillus (dim. of talus die for gaming). See TESSELLATE, TALUS1]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tassel — Tas sel, n. [OE., a fastening of a mantle, OF. tassel a fastening, clasp, F. tasseau a bracket, Fr. L. taxillus a little die, dim. of talus a die of a longish shape, rounded on two sides and marked only on the other four, a knuckle bone.] 1. A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tassel — Tas sel, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Tasseled}or {Tasselled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tasseling} or {Tasselling}.] To put forth a tassel or flower; as, maize tassels. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tassel — (n.) c.1300, mantle fastener, from O.Fr. tassel a fastening, clasp (mid 12c.), from V.L. *tassellus, said to be from L. taxillus small die or cube, a dim. of talus knucklebone, ankle (see TALUS (Cf. talus) (1)). But OED finds this doubtful and… …   Etymology dictionary

  • tassel — tassel1 [tas′əl] n. [ME < OFr, knob, knot, button < VL * tassellus, altered < L taxillus, a small die (akin to talus, ankle), based on L tessella, small cube, piece of mosaic] 1. Obs. a clasp or fibula 2. an ornamental tuft of threads,… …   English World dictionary

  • Tassel — Tas sel, n. (Falconry) A male hawk. See {Tercel}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tassel — Tas sel, n. [See {Teasel}.] A kind of bur used in dressing cloth; a teasel. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tassel — Tas sel, v. t. To adorn with tassels. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tassel — The inflected forms are tasselled, tasselling in BrE and in AmE usually tasseled, tasseling …   Modern English usage

  • tassel — ► NOUN 1) a tuft of hanging threads, knotted together at one end and used for decoration in soft furnishing and clothing. 2) the tufted head of some plants. DERIVATIVES tasselled adjective. ORIGIN Old French, clasp …   English terms dictionary

  • Tassel — For other uses, see hilt and maize. A tassel is a binding of plaited or otherwise gathered threads from which at one end protrudes a cord on which the tassel is hung, and which may have loose, dangling threads at the other end. Tassels are… …   Wikipedia

  • tassel — I. noun Etymology: Middle English, clasp, tassel, from Anglo French, from Vulgar Latin *tassellus, alteration of Latin taxillus small die; akin to Latin talus anklebone, die Date: 14th century 1. a dangling ornament made by laying parallel a… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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