Tease

Pronunciation

• enPR: tÄ“z, IPA: /tiːz/
• Homophones: teas, tees
• Rhymes: -iːz

Origin

From Middle English tesen, from Old English tǣsan ("to tease"), from Proto-Germanic *taisijaną ("to separate, tug, shred"), from Proto-Indo-European *dāy- ("to separate, divide"). Cognate with West Frisian tiezje, tiizje ("to baffle, perplex"), Dutch tezen ("to pull, tug, scratch"), German zeisen ("to pluck, pluck apart"), Danish tæse ("to tease"). Related to touse, tose.

Full definition of tease

Verb

1. To separate the fibres of a fibrous material.
2. To comb (originally with teasels) so that the fibres all lie in one direction.
3. To back-comb.
4. To poke fun at.
5. To provoke or disturb; to annoy.
• MacaulayHe ... suffered them to tease him into acts directly opposed to his strongest inclinations.
• HudibrasNot by the force of carnal reason,
  But indefatigable teasing.
• 1907, w, The Younger Set Chapter 8, “My tastes,” he said, still smiling, “incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet.” And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: “I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; … ”
6. To entice, to tempt.

Derived terms

• tease out
• teaser

Noun

1. One who teases.
2. A single act of teasing.
3. A cock tease; an exotic dancer; a stripper.

Synonyms

• (cock tease) cockteaser, prickteaser

Anagrams

• setae