Tassel

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: tas=sel

CIDE DICTIONARY

Tassel, n. 

 A male hawk. See Tercel.  [1913 Webster]

Tassel, n. [See Teasel.].

 A kind of bur used in dressing cloth; a teasel.  [1913 Webster]

Tassel, n. [OE., a fastening of a mantle, OF. tassel a fastening, clasp, F. tasseau a bracket, Fr. L. taxillus a little die, dim. of talus a die of a longish shape, rounded on two sides and marked only on the other four, a knuckle bone.].

•  A pendent ornament, attached to the corners of cushions, to curtains, and the like, ending in a tuft of loose threads or cords.  [1913 Webster]
•  The flower or head of some plants, esp. when pendent.  [1913 Webster]

  "And the maize field grew and ripened, Till it stood in all the splendor
  Of its garments green and yellow,
  Of its tassels and its plumage."  [1913 Webster]
•  A narrow silk ribbon, or the like, sewed to a book to be put between the leaves.  [1913 Webster]
•  A piece of board that is laid upon a wall as a sort of plate, to give a level surface to the ends of floor timbers; -- rarely used in the United States.  [1913 Webster]

Tassel flower (Bot.), a name of several composite plants of the genus Cineraria, especially the Cineraria sconchifolia, and of the blossoms which they bear.

Tassel, v. i. 

 To put forth a tassel or flower; as, maize tassels.  [1913 Webster]

Tassel, v. t. 

 To adorn with tassels.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Tassel, n. & v.
--n.
1 a tuft of loosely hanging threads or cords etc. attached for decoration to a cushion, scarf, cap, etc.
2 a tassel-like head of some plants, esp. a flower-head with prominent stamens at the top of a maize stalk.
--v. (tasselled, tasselling; US tasseled, tasseling)
1 tr. provide with a tassel or tassels.
2 intr. US (of maize etc.) form tassels.

Tassel, n. (also torsel) a small piece of stone, wood, etc., supporting the end of a beam or joist.

Etymology

OF ult. f. L taxillus small die, and tessella: see TESSELLATE