The Collaborative International Dictionary
Handsel \Hand"sel\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Handseled or Handselled (h[a^]nd"s[e^]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Handseling or Handselling.] [Written also hansel.] [OE handsellen, hansellen; cf. Icel. hadsala, handselja. See Handsel, n.]
To give a handsel to.
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To use or do for the first time, esp. so as to make fortunate or unfortunate; to try experimentally.
No contrivance of our body, but some good man in Scripture hath handseled it with prayer.
--Fuller.
Wiktionary
vb. (en-past of: handsel)
WordNet
See handsel
Usage examples of "handselled".
Who knows what beautiful and winged life, whose egg has been buried for ages under many concentric layers of woodenness in the dead dry life of society, deposited at first in the alburnum of the green and living tree, which has been gradually converted into the semblance of its well-seasoned tomb—heard perchance gnawing out now for years by the astonished family of man, as they sat round the festive board—may unexpectedly come forth from amidst society's most trivial and handselled furniture, to enjoy its perfect summer life at last!
Once the bargain was handselled, he had to persuade his men to go along.
The lads, dressed like their papas, seemed uncomfortable in their new clothes (many that day handselled their first pair of boots), and by their sides, speaking never a word, wearing the white dress of their first communion lengthened for the occasion, were some big girls of fourteen or sixteen, cousins or elder sisters no doubt, rubicund, bewildered, their hair greasy with rose-pomade, and very much afraid of soiling their gloves.