/ˈtæsəl/Show Spelled[tas-uhl]Show IPAnoun, verb, tas·seled, tas·sel·ing or ( especially British ) tas·selled, tas·sel·ling.
noun
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, especially that at the summit of a stalk of corn.
verb (used with object)
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.
00:10
Tasselis one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
So is kibitz. Does it mean:
So is fletcherise. Does it mean:
to bark; yelp.
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
chat, to converse
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
(of corn) to put forth tassels (often followed by out ).
Origin: 1250–1300;Middle English (noun) < Old Frenchtas(s)el fastening for cloak < Vulgar Latin*tassellus, blend of Latintessella (diminutive of tessera die for gaming) and taxillus (diminutive of tālus die for gaming). See tessellate, talus1
Related forms
tas·sel·er; especially British,tas·sel·ler, noun
tas·sel·ly; especially British,tas·sel·ly, adjective
de·tas·sel, verb (used with object), de·tas·seled, de·tas·sel·ing or ( especially British ) de·tas·selled, de·tas·sel·ling.
c.1300, "mantle fastener," from O.Fr. tassel "a fastening, clasp" (c.1150), from V.L. *tassellus, said to be from L. taxillus "small die or cube," a dim. of talus "knucklebone, ankle" (see talus (1)). But OED finds this doubtful and calls attention to the variant form tossel
and suggests association with toss (v.). Meaning "hanging bunch of small cords" is first recorded late 14c.