a salutation wishing health to a person, used in England in early times when presenting a cup of drink or when drinking to the person.
2.
a festivity or revel with drinking of healths.
3.
liquor for drinking and wishing health to others on festive occasions, esp. spiced ale, as on Christmas Eve and Twelfth-night.
4.
Archaic. a song sung in wassailing.
–verb (used without object)
5.
to revel with drinking.
–verb (used with object)
6.
to drink to the health or success of; toast.
Origin: 1175–1225; ME was-hail, equiv. to was be (OE wæs, var. of wes, impv. of wesan to be; akin to was) + hailhale1, in good health (< ON heill hale); r. OE wæs hāl be hale or whole. See whole, heal
A salutation or toast given in drinking someone's health or as an expression of goodwill at a festivity.
The drink used in such toasting, commonly ale or wine spiced with roasted apples and sugar.
A festivity characterized by much drinking.
v.
was·sailed, was·sail·ing, was·sails
v.
tr. To drink to the health of; toast. v.
intr. To engage in or drink a wassail.
[Middle English, contraction of wæshæil, be healthy, from Old Norse ves heill : ves, imperative sing. of vera, to be; see wes-1 in Indo-European roots + heill, healthy; see kailo- in Indo-European roots.] was'sail·er n.