wassail

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a punch made of sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roasted apples; especially at Christmas
  2. verb celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking; engage in uproarious festivities
  3. verb propose a toast to

Etymology

From Middle English wassail, from Old Norse ves heill (“be healthy!”), from the imperative of vesa (“to be”) + heill (“healthy”). The earliest documented use of the term is from the first part of the 12th century CE, in Geoffroy of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (see page's citations).

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