tease
[ teez ]
/ tiz /
verb (used with object), teased, teas·ing.
verb (used without object), teased, teas·ing.
to provoke or disturb a person or animal by importunity or persistent petty annoyances.
noun
a person who teases or annoys.
the act of teasing or the state of being teased.
Origin of tease
before 1000; Middle English
tesen (v.), Old English
tǣsan to pull, tear, comb; cognate with Middle Low German
tesen, Old High German
zeisan to pluck
synonym study for tease
1. See
bother.
OTHER WORDS FROM tease
Words nearby tease
tears,
tearstain,
teary,
teary-eyed,
teasdale,
tease,
tease out,
teasel,
teasel family,
teasel gourd,
teaser
Example sentences from the Web for tease
British Dictionary definitions for tease
tease
/ (tiːz) /
verb
noun
a person or thing that teases
the act of teasing
See also
tease out
Derived forms of tease
teasing, adjective teasingly, adverbWord Origin for tease
Old English
tǣsan; related to Old High German
zeisan to pick
Medical definitions for tease
tease
[ tēz ]
v.
To separate the structural parts of a tissue, as with a needle, in order to prepare it for microscopic examination.