† ˈweezle Obs.
Forms: 6 weesel, -zill, 6–7 wesell, -ill, -yll, weesell, -sil(l, weasill, wezill, 7 weazell, wizzel(l, 8 weezle.
[First recorded in the 16th c., but perh. repr. an OE. *wǽsel, corresponding to G. dial. waisel:—WGer. *waisilo-, from the same root as weasand. Substitution of -el for -en is however possible.]
1. The trachea or windpipe: = weasand 2.
| 1538 Elyot Dict., Curculio,..the wesyll of the throte of a man, wherby he drawyth wynde. 1579–80 North Plutarch, Demosthenes (1595) 908 But wise men laughing at his fine excuse, tolde him it was no sinanche that had stopped his wesill that night, as he would make them beleeue. ? a 1597 Peele David & Bethsabe (1599) B iv, The mastiues of our land, shall werry ye, And pull the weesels from your greedy throtes. 1626 Bacon Sylva §174 The Weasill or Wind-pipe. 1639 Mayne City Match iii. iv, Death you Pander, Forbid the banes or I will cut your wizzell. |
b. Comb.
| 1632 tr. Bruel's Praxis Med. 198 Blood..if it doe come from the throate, or weazell-pipe..it is voyded by hemming. 1647 Lilly Chr. Astrol. xliv. 269 The Weesell-pipe of a man's Throat or Lung-pipe. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. III. 34 From the Weezle-pipe to the Joynt of the Neck. |
2. The epiglottis.
| 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 86 The wesell of the throte, which is a litle fleshy and spongie bodie, in figure like to a pine-apple, hanging at the end of the palat. 1598 Florio, Epiglotti, the couer or wesill of the throte. 1601 Holland Pliny xx. ix. II. 51 The ashes of the root being burnt, cure the Vvula or swelling of the wezill in the throat. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasm. Colloq. 292 He [a cock] wants..such a tongue as we have, nor has he a weesil [L. nec (adest) epiglottis]. |