What does "handsel" mean?
Handsel: Price; payment. [Obs.] Spenser. Handsel Monday, the first Monday of the new year, when handsels or presents are given to servants, children, etc.
Additional senses
- 2.To give a handsel to.
- 3.To use or do for the first time, esp. so as to make fortunate or unfortunate; to try experimentally. No contrivance of our body, but some good man in Scripture hath handseled it with prayer. Fuller.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00