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.
–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.
–verb (used without object)
6.
(of corn) to put forth tassels (often fol. by out).
Origin: 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 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
A bunch of loose threads or cords bound at one end and hanging free at the other, used as an ornament on curtains or clothing, for example.
Something that resembles such an ornament, especially the pollen-bearing inflorescence of a corn plant.
v.
tas·seled or tas·selled, tas·sel·ing or tas·sel·ling, tas·sels
v.
tr. To fringe or decorate with tassels. v.
intr. To put forth a tassellike inflorescence. Used especially of corn.
[Middle English, from Old French, fastening, clasp, from Vulgar Latin *tassellus, blend of Latin tessella, small die; see tessellate, taxillus, diminutive of tālus, knucklebone, ankle.]
[tas-uh
l] 
noun, verb, -seled, -sel⋅ing or (especially British