tease

tease
\ \ [OE] Tease originally meant ‘separate the fibres of wool’ (a sense still perceptible in the metaphorical tease outdisentangle something complicated’). It came from a prehistoric West Germanic *taisjan, whose base was also the source of English teasel [OE], a plant whose prickly flower heads were used for carding wool.
\ \ The notion of ‘irritating someone with prickles’ led in the 17th century to tease being used for ‘pester’, which gradually weakened into ‘make fun of’.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Tease — (t[=e]z), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Teased}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Teasing}.] [AS. t?san to pluck, tease; akin to OD. teesen, MHG. zeisen, Dan. t[ae]se, t[ae]sse. [root]58. Cf. {Touse}.] 1. To comb or card, as wool or flax. Teasing matted wool. Wordsworth …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tease — tease·ment; tease; strip·tease; …   English syllables

  • tease — [tēz] vt. teased, teasing [ME tesen < OE tæsan, to pull about, pluck, tease, akin to Du teezen < IE * di s < base * dā(i) , to cut apart, divide > TIDE1] 1. a) to separate the fibers of; card or comb (flax, wool, etc.) b) to fluff… …   English World dictionary

  • Tease — Tease, n. One who teases or plagues. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tease — may refer to:* TEASE, an Annual Canadian Educational Alternative Lifestyle Camping Convention * Teasing * Teaser, a gambling term …   Wikipedia

  • tease — ► VERB 1) playfully make fun of or attempt to provoke. 2) tempt sexually. 3) (tease out) find out by searching through a mass of information. 4) gently pull or comb (tangled wool, hair, etc.) into separate strands. 5) archaic comb (the surface of …   English terms dictionary

  • tease — index badger, bait (harass), bait (lure), cajole, discompose, harrow, harry ( …   Law dictionary

  • tease — *tantalize, pester, plague, harass, harry, *worry, annoy Analogous words: *bait, badger, hector, chivy: importune, adjure, *beg: fret, chafe, gall (see ABRADE) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • tease — [v] aggravate, provoke annoy, badger, bait, banter, be at, bedevil, beleaguer, bother, chaff, devil, disturb, dog*, gibe, give a hard time*, gnaw, goad, harass, harry, hector, importune, jive*, josh, lead on*, mock, needle*, nudge, pester, pick… …   New thesaurus

  • tease — tease1 [ti:z] v ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(laugh)¦ 2¦(annoy an animal)¦ 3¦(sex)¦ 4¦(hair)¦ Phrasal verbs  tease something<=>out ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [: Old English; Origin: tAsan] 1.) ¦(LAUGH)¦ [I and T] to laugh at someone and make jokes in order to ha …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • tease — [[t]ti͟ːz[/t]] teases, teasing, teased 1) VERB To tease someone means to laugh at them or make jokes about them in order to embarrass, annoy, or upset them. [V n] He told her how the boys in East Poldown had set on him, teasing him... [V n about… …   English dictionary

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