TAS'SEL, noun 1. A sort of pendant ornament, attached to the corners of cushions, to curtains and the like, ending in loose threads. 2. A small ribbon of silk sewed to a book, to be put between the leaves. 3. In building, tassels are the pieces of boards that lie under the mantle-tree. 4. A burr. [See Teasel.] 5. A male hawk; properly terzol.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI