Teasel

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːzÉ™l

Alternative forms

• teazle, teasle, tassel

Origin

From Middle English tesel, tasil, tasel, tosel, from Old English tǣsel, tǣsl ("to tease"), from Proto-Germanic *taisilō, *taislō ("thistle"), from Proto-Indo-European *dāy- ("to separate, divide"). Cognate with Scots tasil, tassill ("teasel"), German Zeisel ("thistle, teasel"). Related to tease.

Full definition of teasel

Noun

1. Any of several plants of the genus Dipsacus, of which one species (D. fullonum) bears a large flower head covered with stiff, prickly, hooked bracts.
2. The dried flower head of the fuller's teasel, , used for teasing or carding cloth.
3. Any contrivance intended as a substitute for teasels in dressing cloth.

Verb

1. To raise the nap on cloth; to tease; to card.

Anagrams

• elates
• stelae
• teasle