Meaning

3 senses

  1. (transitive)To give a handsel to.

  2. (transitive)To inaugurate by means of some ceremony; to break in.

  3. (transitive)To use or do for the first time, especially so as to make fortunate or unfortunate; to try experimentally.

Origin

From Middle English handsell, hanselle, from Old English handselen and/or Old Norse handsa

From Middle English handsell, hanselle, from Old English handselen and/or Old Norse handsal (literally “hand-gift”). Cognate with Scots hansel, Danish handsel.

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Forms

handsels, handseling, handseled, handseled
Base formhandsel · to handsel
3rd person singularhandsels
Present participlehandseling
Past simplehandseled / handselled
Past participlehandseled / handselled

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyhandsel
he, she, ithandsels

Past simpleLesson

all personshandseled

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave handseled
he, she, ithas handseled

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill handsel

Word family

1 related words
Derivedunhandseled

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
handoutB2handprinthandrailB2handsawhandsethandshakeB1
handsel — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto