1.  tease(n = noun.person) annoyer, teaser, vexer - someone given to teasing (as by mocking or stirring curiosity);
is a kind of persona non grata, unwelcome person
Derived forms verb tease₂, verb tease₁

2.  tease(n = noun.person) coquette, flirt, minx, prickteaser, vamp, vamper - a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men;
is a kind of adult female, woman
Derived forms verb tease₈, verb tease₃

3.  tease(n = noun.act) ribbing, tantalization, teasing - 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"
is a kind of harassment, molestation
Derived forms verb tease₂, verb tease₁

1.  tease(v = verb.emotion) badger, beleaguer, bug, pester - annoy persistently; "The children teased the boy because of his stammer"
is one way to bedevil, crucify, dun, frustrate, rag, torment
Derived forms noun tease₃, noun tease₁, noun teaser₂
Sample sentences: Sam cannot tease Sue

2.  tease(v = verb.communication) bait, cod, rag, rally, razz, ride, tantalise, tantalize, taunt, twit - 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"
is one way to bemock, mock
Derived forms noun tease₃, noun tease₁, noun teaser₂, noun teasing₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s somebody

3.  tease(v = verb.emotion) - 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"
is one way to control, keep in line, manipulate
Derived form noun tease₂
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s somebody

4.  tease(v = verb.contact) - tear into pieces; "tease tissue for microscopic examinations"
is one way to rip up, shred, tear up
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

5.  tease(v = verb.contact) - raise the nap of (fabrics);
is one way to change surface
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

6.  tease(v = verb.contact) loosen, tease apart - disentangle and raise the fibers of; "tease wool"
is one way to disentangle, straighten out, unsnarl
Derived forms noun teaser₇, noun teaser₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

7.  tease(v = verb.contact) card - separate the fibers of; "tease wool"
is one way to separate
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something

8.  tease(v = verb.communication) - mock or make fun of playfully; "the flirting man teased the young woman"
is one way to blackguard, guy, jest at, laugh at, make fun, poke fun, rib, ridicule, roast
Derived forms noun tease₂, noun teaser₂
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s; Somebody ----s somebody

9.  tease(v = verb.body) fluff - ruffle (one's hair) by combing the ends towards the scalp, for a full effect;
is one way to comb, comb out, disentangle
Derived form noun teasing₃
Sample sentences: They tease their hair

1.  To comb or card, as wool or flax. Wordsworth. [1913 Webster]

2.  To stratch, as cloth, for the purpose of raising a nap; teasel. [1913 Webster]

3.  To tear or separate into minute shreds, as with needles or similar instruments. [1913 Webster]

4.  To vex with importunity or impertinence; to harass, annoy, disturb, or irritate by petty requests, or by jests and raillery; to plague. Cowper. [1913 Webster]
"He . . . suffered them to tease him into acts directly opposed to his strongest inclinations." [1913 Webster]
"Not by the force of carnal reason,
But indefatigable teasing." [1913 Webster]
"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." [1913 Webster]

   One who teases or plagues. [1913 Webster]

tease, v. & n.
--v.tr. (also absol.)
1 a make fun of (a person or animal) playfully or unkindly or annoyingly. b tempt or allure, esp. sexually, while refusing to satisfy the desire aroused.
2 pick (wool, hair, etc.) into separate fibres.
3 dress (cloth) esp. with teasels.
--n.
1 colloq. a person fond of teasing.
2 an instance of teasing (it was only a tease).

Idiom:
tease out separate by disentangling.

Derivative:
teasingly adv.

Etymology:
OE t{aelig}san f. WG

VB  cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.

VB  aggravate, render worse, heighten, embitter, sour, exacerbate, exasperate, envenom, enrage, provoke, tease, add fuel to the fire, add fuel to the flame, fan the flame, go from bad to worse.

VB  ridicule, deride, mock, taunt, snigger, laugh in one's sleeve, tease, badinage, banter, rally, chaff, joke, twit, quiz, roast, haze, tehee, fleer, show up, play upon, play tricks upon, fool to the top of one's bent, laugh at, grin at, smile at, poke fun at, satirize, parody, caricature, burlesque, travesty, turn into ridicule, make merry with, make fun of, make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of, rally, scoff, raise a laugh, play the fool, make a fool of oneself.

VB  be malevolent, bear spleen, harbor spleen, bear a grudge, harbor a grudge, bear malice, betray the cloven foot, show the cloven foot, hurt, annoy, injure, harm, wrong, do harm to, do an ill office to, outrage, disoblige, malign, plant a thorn in the breast, molest, worry, harass, haunt, harry, bait, tease, throw stones at, play the devil with, hunt down, dragoon, hound, persecute, oppress, grind, maltreat, illtreat, ill-use, wreak one's malice on, do one's worst, break a butterfly on the wheel, dip one's hands in blood, imbrue one's hands in blood, have no mercy.

tease apart