teasel (n.)

also teazel, teazle, type of plant, Old English tæsel "large thistle used in teasing cloth," from Proto-Germanic *taisilo (source also of Old High German zeisala), from root of Old English tæsan "to pluck" (see tease (v.)).

Entries linking to teasel

tease (v.)

formerly also teaze, Old English tæsan "pluck, pull, tear; pull apart, comb" (fibers of wool, flax, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *taisijan (source also of Danish tæse, Middle Dutch tesen, Dutch tezen "to draw, pull, scratch," Old High German zeisan "to tease, pick wool").

The original sense is of running thorns through wool or flax to separate, shred, or card the fibers. The figurative sense of "vex, worry, annoy" (sometimes done in good humor) emerged 1610s. For similar sense development, compare heckle. Hairdressing sense is recorded from 1957. Related: Teased; teasing; teasingly.

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Definitions of teasel

teasel (n.)

any of several herbs of the genus Dipsacus native to the Old World having flower heads surrounded by spiny bracts;

Synonyms: teazel / teasle

From wordnet.princeton.edu

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