/ tiːz; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
to laugh at sb and make jokes about them, either in a friendly way or in order to annoy or embarrass them :
[ v ]
Don't get upset—I was only teasing.
[ vn ]
I used to get teased about my name.
[also v speech , vn speech ]
2.
[ vn ] to annoy an animal, especially by touching it, pulling its tail, etc.
3.
[ v , vn ] ( disapproving ) to make sb sexually excited, especially when you do not intend to have sex with them
4.
[ vn ] to pull sth gently apart into separate pieces :
to tease wool into strands
5.
[ vn ] ( NAmE ) = backcomb
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- tease sth out
■ noun [ usually sing. ]
1.
a person who likes to play tricks and jokes on other people, especially by telling them sth that is not true or by not telling them sth that they want to know
2.
an act that is intended as a trick or joke
3.
( disapproving ) a person who pretends to be attracted to sb, makes them sexually excited and then refuses to have sex with them
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English tǣsan (in sense 4 of the verb), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch teezen and German dialect zeisen , also to teasel . Senses 1 to 3 are a development of the earlier and more serious irritate by annoying actions (early 17th cent.), a figurative use of the word's original sense.