TEASE
tease, teasing, ribbing, tantalization
(noun) the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances; “he ignored their teases”; “his ribbing was gentle but persistent”
coquette, flirt, vamp, vamper, minx, tease, prickteaser
(noun) a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men
tease, teaser, annoyer, vexer
(noun) someone given to teasing (as by mocking or stirring curiosity)
tease, fluff
(verb) ruffle (one’s hair) by combing the ends towards the scalp, for a full effect
tease, razz, rag, cod, tantalize, tantalise, bait, taunt, twit, rally, ride
(verb) harass with persistent criticism or carping; “The children teased the new teacher”; “Don’t ride me so hard over my failure”; “His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie”
tease
(verb) mock or make fun of playfully; “the flirting man teased the young woman”
tease, card
(verb) separate the fibers of; “tease wool”
tease, tease apart, loosen
(verb) disentangle and raise the fibers of; “tease wool”
tease
(verb) raise the nap of (fabrics)
tease
(verb) tear into pieces; “tease tissue for microscopic examinations”
tease, badger, pester, bug, beleaguer
(verb) annoy persistently; “The children teased the boy because of his stammer”
tease
(verb) to arouse hope, desire, or curiosity without satisfying them; “The advertisement is intended to tease the customers”; “She has a way of teasing men with her flirtatious behavior”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
tease (third-person singular simple present teases, present participle teasing, simple past and past participle teased)
To separate the fibres of a fibrous material.
To comb (originally with teasels) so that the fibres all lie in one direction.
To back-comb.
(transitive) To poke fun at.
(transitive) To provoke or disturb; to annoy.
(transitive) To manipulate or influence the behavior of, especially by repeated acts of irritation.
(transitive) To entice, tempt.
(transitive, informal) To show as forthcoming, in the manner of a teaser.
Noun
tease (plural teases)
One who teases.
A single act of teasing.
One who deliberately arouses others (usually men) sexually with no intention of satisfying that arousal.
Synonyms: cock tease, cocktease, cockteaser, prickteaser
Anagrams
• Seeta, setae, setæ
Source: Wiktionary
Tease, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Teased; p. pr. & vb. n. Teasing.] Etym:
[AS. t to pluck, tease; akin to OD. teesen, MHG. zeisen, Dan. tæse,
tæsse. *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.)
Definition: 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.
– 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.
Tease, n.
Definition: One who teases or plagues. [Colloq.]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition