Obs. rare–1. [a. OF. essele (mod. aisselle):—L. axilla armpit; or, for earlier Eng. axle, eaxle, exle, shoulder, between which and the OF. there was an early confusion.
c. 1450. Merlin, vii. 116. The speres on their asseles, theire sheldes before her bristes. [Cf. Joinv. in Littré ‘le glaive dessous s’essele et l’escu devant li.]
