teasel

Alternative forms

• teazle, teasle, teazel, tazel

Etymology

From Middle English tasel, tesel, from Old English tǣsel, tǣsl, from Proto-West Germanic *taisilu.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːzəl

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

teasel (plural teasels)

1. Any of several plants of the genus Dipsacus.
2. The dried flower head of the fuller's teasel, Dipsacus fullonum, used for teasing or carding cloth.
3. Any contrivance intended as a substitute for teasels in dressing cloth.

Verb

teasel (third-person singular simple present teasels, present participle teaselling or teaseling, simple past and past participle teaselled or teaseled)

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

Anagrams

• elates, saltee, slatee, steale, stelae, stelæ, teasle