— tasseler; esp. Brit., tasseller , n. — tasselly; esp. Brit., tasselly , adj.
/tas"euhl/ , n. , v. , tasseled, tasseling or ( esp. Brit. ) tasselled, tasselling .
n.
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, esp. that at the summit of a stalk of corn.
v.t.
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.
v.i.
6. (of corn) to put forth tassels (often fol. by out ).
[ 1250-1300; ME (n.) tas ( s ) el fastening for cloak tassellus, b. L tessella (dim. of tessera die for gaming) and taxillus (dim. of talus die for gaming). See TESSELLATE, TALUS 1 ]