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housel

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housel¹

  • /ˈhaʊzəl/

Rhymes with -aʊzəl

Where it comes from

From Middle English housel, from Old English hūsl (“housel, Eucharist, the Host, a sacrifice”), from Proto-Germanic *hunslą (“sacrifice”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen- (“holy”). Cognate with Icelandic húsl (“housel”), Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌻 (hunsl, “sacrifice, offering”), Proto-Slavic *svętъ (“holy, sacred”) (OED).

The OED cites usage of the noun from the 10th to the 17th century. 19th century use is deliberately archaizing. The verb is attested from the 11th century, and in occasional usage persists into the 19th.

noun

  1. archaic The Eucharist. The Holy Houſel ought to be kept vvith great Diligence and not be permitted to be ſtale, but another be alvvays hallovved anevv for Sick Men in about a Seven-night, or Fortnight, ſo as that it may not be muſty at leaſt.

housel²

  • /ˈhaʊzəl/

Rhymes with -aʊzəl

Where it comes from

From Middle English houselen, from Old English hūslian (“to administer the sacrament”), from Proto-Germanic *hunslōną (“to sacrifice, offer”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen- (“holy”). Cognate with Icelandic húsla (“to housel”), Old Swedish húsla (“to administer the Eucharist to”), Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hunsljan, “to offer, sacrifice”).

verb housels · houseling · houselling · houseled · houselled

  1. archaic, transitive To administer the Eucharist to.
  2. rare, transitive To prepare for a journey. So housel all our hackneys that they may feel Compunction in their feet, and tire at Highgate.

Housel³

Where it comes from

Americanized form of German Hauschild.

proper noun Housels · Houseal

  1. A surname from German.

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MLA

"housel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/housel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

housel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/housel

Chicago

"housel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/housel.

BibTeX
@misc{housel_2026,
  title = {housel},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/housel},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}