handsel
Example Sentences
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Aleman, Cervantes, Lesage, Defoe and Fielding were inspired to imitation, and today Lazarillo is acclaimed as the prototype of the picaresque novel, as a handsel of the arriving era of realism in European literature.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Then Hrut held his peace some little while, and afterwards he stood up, and said to Oswif, "Take now my hand in handsel as a token that thou lettest the suit drop."
From The Story of Burnt Njal: the great Icelandic tribune, jurist, and counsellor by Unknown
Under the name of handsel to Pius IX., the Catholic press opened subscription lists.
From Pius IX. And His Time by Dawson, Æneas MacDonell
The carpenter of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, likewise, as Pepys said of a new pair of stocks in his neighborhood, took handsel of the stocks of his own making.
From Curious Punishments of Bygone Days by Earle, Alice Morse
The village where thou livedst was all apprised of the fact; and neighbour after neighbour kissed thy pudding-cheek, and gave thee, as handsel, silver or copper coins, on that the first gala-day of thy existence.
From Sartor Resartus, and On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History by Carlyle, Thomas
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.