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.
Longfellow.
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.
Tassel flower (Bot.), a name of several composite plants of the genus
Cineraria, especially the C. sconchifolia, and of the blossoms which
they bear.
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"set (?), n. [See Tasse.] A defense for the front of the thigh,
consisting of one or more iron plates hanging from the belt on the
lower edge of the corselet.
Tast"a*ble (tst"*b'l), a. Capable of worthy of being tasted; savory;
relishing.
Taste (tst), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Tasting.] [OE.
tasten to feel, to taste, OF. taster, F. tater to feel, to try by the
touch, to try, to taste, (assumed) LL. taxitare, fr. L. taxare to touch
sharply, to estimate. See Tax, v. t.] 1. To try by the touch; to
handle; as, to taste a bow. [Obs.] Chapman.
Taste it well and stone thou shalt it find.
Chaucer.
2. To try by the touch of the tongue; to perceive the relish or flavor
of (anything) by taking a small quantity into a mouth. Also used
figuratively.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine.
John ii. 9.
When Commodus had once tasted human blood, he became incapable of pity
or remorse.
Gibbon.