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teasemore about tease

tease

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Tease  \Tease\,  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. 
 
  2.  To  stratch,  as  cloth,  for  the  purpose  of  raising  a  nap; 
  teasel. 
 
  3.  (Anat.)  To  tear  or  separate  into  minute  shreds,  as  with 
  needles  or  similar  instruments. 
 
  4.  To  vex  with  importunity  or  impertinence;  to  harass,  annoy, 
  disturb,  or  irritate  by  petty  requests,  or  by  jests  and 
  raillery;  to  plague.  --Cowper. 
 
  He  .  .  .  suffered  them  to  tease  him  into  acts 
  directly  opposed  to  his  strongest  inclinations. 
  --Macaulay. 
 
  Syn:  To  vex;  harass:  annoy;  disturb;  irritate;  plague; 
  torment;  mortify;  tantalize;  chagrin. 
 
  Usage:  {Tease},  {Vex}.  To  tease  is  literally  to  pull  or 
  scratch,  and  implies  a  prolonged  annoyance  in  respect 
  to  little  things  which  is  often  more  irritating,  and 
  harder  to  bear,  than  severe  pain.  Vex  meant  originally 
  to  seize  and  bear  away  hither  and  thither,  and  hence 
  to  disturb;  as  to  vex  the  ocean  with  storms.  This 
  sense  of  the  term  now  rarely  occurs;  but  vex  is  still 
  a  stronger  word  than  tease,  denoting  the  disturbance 
  or  anger  created  by  minor  provocations,  losses, 
  disappointments,  etc  We  are  teased  by  the  buzzing  of 
  a  fly  in  our  eyes;  we  are  vexed  by  the  carelessness  or 
  stupidity  of  our  servants. 
 
  Not  by  the  force  of  carnal  reason,  But 
  indefatigable  teasing.  --Hudibras. 
 
  In  disappointments,  where  the  affections  have 
  been  strongly  placed,  and  the  expectations 
  sanguine,  particularly  where  the  agency  of 
  others  is  concerned,  sorrow  may  degenerate  into 
  vexation  and  chagrin.  --Cogan. 
 
  {Tease  tenon}  (Joinery),  a  long  tenon  at  the  top  of  a  post  to 
  receive  two  beams  crossing  each  other  one  above  the  other 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Tease  \Tease\,  n. 
  One  who  teases  or  plagues.  [Colloq.] 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  tease 
  n  1:  someone  given  to  teasing  (as  by  mocking  or  stirring 
  curiosity)  [syn:  {teaser},  {annoyer},  {tantalizer}] 
  2:  a  seductive  woman  who  uses  her  sex  appeal  to  exploit  men 
  [syn:  {coquette},  {flirt},  {vamp},  {vamper},  {minx},  {prickteaser}] 
  3:  the  act  of  teasing;  provoking  someone  with  persistent 
  annoyances  [syn:  {teasing}] 
  v  1:  annoy  persistently;  "The  children  teased  the  boy  because  of 
  his  stammer"  [syn:  {badger},  {harass},  {pester},  {bug}, 
  {beleaguer}] 
  2:  harass  with  persistent  criticism  or  carping;  "The  children 
  teased  the  new  teacher";  "Don't  ride  me  so  hard  over  my 
  failure"  [syn:  {rag},  {cod},  {tantalize},  {bait},  {taunt}, 
  {twit},  {rally},  {ride}] 
  3:  offer  and  withdraw 
  4:  tear  into  pieces;  "tease  tissue  for  microscopic 
  examinations" 
  5:  raise  the  nap  of  (fabrics) 
  6:  disentangle  and  raise  the  fibers  of  "tease  wool"  [syn:  {tease 
  apart},  {loosen}] 
  7:  separate  the  fibers  of  [syn:  {card}] 
  8:  ruffle  by  combing  towards  the  ends  towards  the  scalp,  for  a 
  full  effect;  of  hair  [syn:  {fluff}]




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