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teasingmore about teasing

teasing

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Tease  \Tease\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Teased};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Teasing}.]  [AS.  t?san  to  pluck,  tease;  akin  to  OD  teesen 
  MHG.  zeisen  Dan.  t[ae]se,  t[ae]sse.  [root]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.)  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. 
 
  Usage:  {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 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  teasing 
  adj  1:  playfully  vexing  (especially  by  ridicule);  "his  face  wore  a 
  somewhat  quizzical  almost  impertinent  air"-  Lawrence 
  Durrell  [syn:  {mocking},  {quizzical}] 
  2:  arousing  sexual  desire  without  intending  to  satisfy  it  "her 
  lazy  teasing  smile" 
  3:  causing  irritation  or  annoyance;  "tapping  an  annoying  rhythm 
  on  his  glass  with  his  fork";  "aircraft  noise  is 
  particularly  bothersome  near  the  airport";  "found  it 
  galling  to  have  to  ask  permission";  "an  irritating  delay"; 
  "nettlesome  paperwork";  "a  pesky  mosquito";  "swarms  of 
  pestering  gnats";  "a  plaguey  newfangled  safety  catch";  "a 
  teasing  and  persistent  thought  annoyed  him";  "a  vexatious 
  child";  "it  is  vexing  to  have  to  admit  you  are  wrong" 
  [syn:  {annoying},  {bothersome},  {galling},  {irritating},  {nettlesome}, 
  {pesky},  {pestering},  {pestiferous},  {plaguy},  {plaguey}, 
  {vexatious},  {vexing}] 
  n  1:  the  act  of  teasing;  provoking  someone  with  persistent 
  annoyances  [syn:  {tease}] 
  2:  playful  vexation;  "the  parody  was  just  a  form  of  teasing" 
  3:  the  act  of  removing  tangles  from  you  hair  with  a  comb  [syn: 
  {comb-out}]




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