v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Assailed p. pr. & vb. n. Assailing. ] [ OE. assailen, asailen, OF. asaillir, assailler, F. assaillir; a (L. ad) + saillir to burst out, project, fr. L. salire to leap, spring; cf. L. assilire to leap or spring upon. See Sally. ] 1. To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery. [ 1913 Webster ]

No rude noise mine ears assailing. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

No storm can now assail
The charm he wears within. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The thorny wilds the woodmen fierce assail. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The papal authority . . . assailed. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

They assailed him with keen invective; they assailed him with still keener irony. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To attack; assault; invade; encounter; fall upon. See Attack. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being assailed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. assaillant, p. pr. of assaillir. ] Assailing; attacking. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. assaillant. ] One who, or that which, assails, attacks, or assaults; an assailer. [ 1913 Webster ]

An assailant of the church. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who assails. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or power of assailing; attack; assault. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His most frequent assailment was the headache. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To assail again; as, Her old fears reassailed her. Usually used without the hyphen. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

See abolishable.
See absolvable.
See absurd.
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See accordant.
See adoptable.
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See affectionate.
See afraid.
See alliable.
See allowable.
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See ambiguous.
See ambitious.
See amendable.
See -American.
See amusive.
See angular.
See anxious.
See apocryphal.
See apostolic.
See apparent.
See appeasable.
See applausive.
See appreciable.
See apprehensible.
See apprehensive.
See approachable.
See artificial.
See artistic.
See assailable.
See attainable.
See attentive.
See authentic.
See available.
See bailable.
See bearable.
See beautiful.
See beliefful.
See believable.
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See blissful.
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See distinguishable.
See dividable.
See divine.
See domestic.
See doubtful.
[ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. wes hāl (or an equivalent form in another dialect) be in health, which was the form of drinking a health. The form wes is imperative. See Was, and Whole. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. An ancient expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to some one. [ 1913 Webster ]

Geoffrey of Monmouth relates, on the authority of Walter Calenius, that this lady [ Rowena ], the daughter of Hengist, knelt down on the approach of the king, and, presenting him with a cup of wine, exclaimed, Lord king waes heil, that is, literally, Health be to you. N. Drake. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse. “In merry wassail he . . . peals his loud song.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse,
Keeps wassail. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The victors abandoned themselves to feasting and wassail. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The liquor used for a wassail; esp., a beverage formerly much used in England at Christmas and other festivals, made of ale (or wine) flavored with spices, sugar, toast, roasted apples, etc.; -- called also lamb's wool. [ 1913 Webster ]

A jolly wassail bowl,
A wassail of good ale. Old Song. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A festive or drinking song or glee. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Have you done your wassail! 'T is a handsome, drowsy ditty, I'll assure you. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to wassail, or to a wassail; convivial; as, a wassail bowl. “Awassail candle, my lord, all tallow.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wassail bowl, a bowl in which wassail was mixed, and placed upon the table. “Spiced wassail bowl.” J. Fletcher. “When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in a huge silver vessel . . . Its appearance was hailed with acclamation, being the wassail bowl so renowned in Christmas festivity.” W. Irving. --
Wassail cup, a cup from which wassail was drunk. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To hold a wassail; to carouse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in dancing, caroling, and wassailing. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who drinks wassail; one who engages in festivity, especially in drinking; a reveler. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rudeness and swilled insolence
Of such late wassailers. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]