Forms: 4 tezir, 5 teser, 6 teasor, 7 teyser, 7–9 teazer, 8 teizer, 8– teaser. [f. TEASE v.1 + -ER1.] One who or that which teases, in various senses.
1. a. One who teases wool, cotton, or the like.
1483. Cath. Angl., 380/2. A Teser, carponarius.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Carmenador, a teasor, carminator.
1611. Cotgr., Tireur de laine, a Teyser of wooll.
1824. Galt, Rothelan, II. IV. i. 99. The teasers and carders had started in alarm from their tasks.
1864. Jane Cameron, Mem. Convict, I. 119. Among the female convicts there were oakum-pickers and teazers,… hair and cotton teazers.
b. An instrument or machine for teasing wool, etc.
1395. Cartular. Abb. de Whiteby (Surtees), 614. Item pro viii swewyls, viii.d. Item pro iiii tezirs, xiiii.d.
1876. Daily News, 17 June. The fire is thought to have originated with the ‘teazer,’ a machine used for ‘teazing’ the wool in its rough state.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 289/1. The teaser [for gutta-percha] … a drum containing a rotating cylinder armed with teeth.
Comb. 1882. W. Gibson, Remin. Dollar, 152. The teazer-house with all its contents was burnt down.
2. One who teases or annoys: see TEASE v.1 2.
1659. Commonwealth Ballads (Percy Soc.), 200. Old Oliver was a teazer.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 288, ¶ 3. One who would lessen the Number of Teazers of the Muses.
1844. Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xi. She’s a regular teazer.
b. Local name of several birds which chase gulls and force them to disgorge their prey, as the skua. (Cf. dung-teaser, DUNG 5 c, gull-teaser, GULL 1 c.)
1833. G. Montagu’s Ornith. Dict., 143. Teaser…. A prov. name for Buffon’s Skua, Lestris Buffonii.
1885. Swainson, Provinc. Names Birds, 210. Richardson’s Skua. Gulls … when engaged in fishing, are pursued and harassed by these birds till they disgorge their prey…. Hence the name Teaser.
c. An inferior stallion or ram used to excite mares or ewes.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v.
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Teaser, a young ram which is allowed to run with the ewes, but is artificially prevented from copulation.
† d. A hound used in hunting: see TEISER. Obs.
e. In elephant-hunting: see quot.
1888. Pall Mall G., 30 May, 6/1. When we find them, the teasers, who are the most courageous of the hunters, begin to tease the leaders of the herd. The bulls soon become angry and excited and give chase to the teasers.
3. Something that teases, or causes annoyance; something difficult to deal with, a ‘poser.’ colloq. In Pugilistic slang, an opponent difficult to tackle or overcome.
1759. Franklin, Ess., Wks. 1840, III. 380. He plyed them with another teaser.
1812. Sporting Mag., XL. 66. The writer cannot encourage the beaten man with hopes of ever being a teazer in the gymnastic line.
1844. Dickens, Mart. Chuz., l. It was a teaser to read.
1883. E. Pennell-Elmhirst, Cream Leicestersh., 75. The next [fence] is indeed a teaser, where the best horse … might crack under the saddle.
b. slang. A flogging. ? Obs.
1832. Examiner, 188/1. What they had done was ‘not big enough for transportation, nor for a teaser’ (a whipping).
