housel

Meaning

Noun

The Eucharist.

Verb

1. (archaic, transitive) To administer the Eucharist to.
2. (rare, transitive) To prepare for a journey.

Synonyms

Eucharist

Holy

Lord's Supper

Communtion

Translations

Abendmahl

kinonía

matálipsi

Eucharistie

eucarestia

eucaristia

eucharistia

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhaʊzəl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: housel

Inherited from Old English: hūsl

Cognate with Icelandic: húsl

Cognate with Gothic: 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌻

Inherited from Middle English: houselen

Inherited from Old English: hūslian

Cognate with Icelandic: húsla

Cognate with Swedish: húsla

Cognate with Gothic: 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽

In summary

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.