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teasel
or tea·zel, tea·zle
[ tee-zuhl ]
/ ˈti zəl /
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noun
any of several plants of the genus Dipsacus, having prickly leaves and flower heads.Compare teasel family.
the dried flower head or bur of the plant D. fullonum, used for teasing or teaseling cloth.
any mechanical contrivance used for teaseling.
verb (used with object), tea·seled, tea·sel·ing or (especially British) tea·selled, tea·sel·ling.
to raise a nap on (cloth) with teasels; dress by means of teasels.
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Origin of teasel
OTHER WORDS FROM teasel
tea·sel·er; especially British, tea·sel·ler, nounun·tea·seled, adjectiveun·tea·selled, adjectiveWords nearby teasel
tear strip, teary, teary-eyed, Teasdale, tease, teasel, teasel family, teasel gourd, tease out, teaser, tea service
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use teasel in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for teasel
teasel
teazel or teazle
/ (ˈtiːzəl) /
noun
any of various stout biennial plants of the genus Dipsacus, of Eurasia and N Africa, having prickly leaves and prickly heads of yellow or purple flowers: family DipsacaceaeSee also fuller's teasel
- the prickly dried flower head of the fuller's teasel, used for teasing
- any manufactured implement used for the same purpose
verb -sels, -selling or -selled or US -sels, -seling or -seled
(tr) to tease (a fabric)
Derived forms of teasel
teaseller, nounWord Origin for teasel
Old English tǣsel; related to Old High German zeisala teasel, Norwegian tīsl undergrowth, tīsla to tear to bits; see tease
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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