[wos-uh
l, -eyl, was-, wo-seyl] 
| 1. | 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. |
| 5. | to revel with drinking. |
| 6. | to drink to the health or success of; toast. |
| was·sail (wŏs'əl, wŏ-sāl') n.
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. |