Tas"sel (?), n. (Falconry) A male hawk. See Tercel.

Tas"sel, n. [See Teasel.] A kind of bur used in dressing cloth; a teasel.

Tas"sel, 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.] 1. A pendent ornament, attached to the corners of cushions, to curtains, and the like, ending in a tuft of loose threads or cords.

2. The flower or head of some plants, esp. when pendent.

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.

3. A narrow silk ribbon, or the like, sewed to a book to be put between the leaves.

4. (Arch.) 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.

Tas"sel, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Tasseled (?) or Tasselled; p. pr. & vb. n. Tasseling or Tasselling.] To put forth a tassel or flower; as, maize tassels.

Tas"sel, v. t. To adorn with tassels. Chaucer.

Tas"sel (?), n. (Falconry) A male hawk. See Tercel.

Tas"sel, n. [See Teasel.] A kind of bur used in dressing cloth; a teasel.

Tas"sel, 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.] 1. A pendent ornament, attached to the corners of cushions, to curtains, and the like, ending in a tuft of loose threads or cords.

2. The flower or head of some plants, esp. when pendent.

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.

3. A narrow silk ribbon, or the like, sewed to a book to be put between the leaves.

4. (Arch.) 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.

Tas"sel, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Tasseled (?) or Tasselled; p. pr. & vb. n. Tasseling or Tasselling.] To put forth a tassel or flower; as, maize tassels.

Tas"sel, v. t. To adorn with tassels. Chaucer.

• A ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads from which at one end protrudes a cord on which the tassel is hung, and which may have loose, dangling threads at the other end. Tassels are normally decorative elements, and as such one often finds them attached, usually along the bottom hem, to garments, curtains or other hangings.