Betassel

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A decorative accessory typically found on garments, bags, or hats, featuring a tassel that can hang down, often enhancing the visual appeal of the item
2. A hanging ornament made of knotted cords or threads; commonly used in textiles, it serves both decorative and functional purposes in fashion
3. An adornment characterized by a cluster of loose threads or cords that dangle, adding flair to various articles of clothing or accessories

Etymology: The word is a verb built from the prefix "be-" and the noun "tassel," so its story is mostly the story of its parts. "Tassel" is the older piece: it came into English from Old French "tassel," a diminutive-style form of the sense "clasp" or "fastening," and it first named the small cluster of hanging threads used to finish a cord, curtain or cap. The prefix "be-" is an old English device for making a verb out of a noun, giving the sense "to cover or provide with" the thing named. So to betassel something is, literally, to furnish it with tassels. The construction is a straightforward one, and the verb's meaning follows directly from its parts: someone who betassels a garment decorates it by adding tassels. The same pattern gives English other verbs such as "bejewel" and "becloud," where "be-" marks the act of covering or supplying with the base noun.

Synonyms: adorn, decorate, embellish, trim, ornament

Antonyms: strip, bare, remove, disrobe, undeck