teasel Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of several herbs of the genus Dipsacus native to the Old World having flower heads surrounded by spiny bracts
    teazel; teasle.

WordNet

Tea"sel noun
Etymology
OE. tesel, AS. tsel, tsl, the fuller's herb. See Tease.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Dipsacus, of which one species (D. fullonum) bears a large flower head covered with stiff, prickly, hooked bracts. This flower head, when dried, is used for raising a nap on woolen cloth. ✍ Small teasel is Dipsacus pilosus, wild teasel is D. sylvestris.
  2. A bur of this plant.
  3. Any contrivance intended as a substitute for teasels in dressing cloth.
Tea"sel transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Teaseled or Teaselled; present participle & verbal noun Teaseling or Teaselling
Definitions
  1. To subject, as woolen cloth, to the action of teasels, or any substitute for them which has an effect to raise a nap.

Webster 1913