teasel, common name for some members of the Dipsacaceae, a family of chiefly Old World herbs found mostly in the Mediterranean and Balkan areas but ranging to India and to S Africa. Species of Dipsacus and Scabiosa have become widely naturalized in America. Scabiosa, commonly called sweet scabious, mourning bride, or pincushion flower (for its head of small, lacy flowers) includes several ornamentals and was formerly used as a remedy for the itch (scabies). Fuller's teasel (D. fullonum) is a noxious biennial weed whose heads of small flowers bear sharp prongs have been used in the textile industry for teasing or raising the nap on wool. Teasels are often used in everlasting bouquets. Teasels are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Dipsacales.

tea·sel / ˈtēzəl/ (also teazle or teazel) • n. a tall prickly Eurasian plant (genus Dipsacus, family Dipsacaceae) with spiny purple flowerheads. Its several species include fuller's teasel. ∎  a large, dried, spiny head from such a plant, or a device serving as a substitute for one of these, used in the textile industry to raise a nap on woven cloth. • v. [tr.] [often as n.] (teaseling) chiefly archaic raise a nap on (cloth) with or as if with teasels.

teasel Any of several species of plants that grow in Europe, the Middle East, and the USA. They are prickly plants, with cup-like leaf bases that trap water. Species include fuller's teasel, whose purple flower heads were used for carding wool. Family Dipsacaceae.

teasel, teazle plant of the genus Dipsacus; the prickly flower heads of which are used for teasing cloth. OE. tǣs(e)l = OHG. zeisala (MHG. zeisel), f. base of *taisan TEASE; see -EL1, -LE1.

teasel •basil, bedazzle, dazzle, frazzle, razzle •damsel • razzle-dazzle • Basel •bezel, embezzle •Denzil •appraisal, hazel, nasal, phrasal •wych hazel •diesel, easel, teasel, weasel •chisel, drizzle, fizzle, frizzle, grizzle, mizzle, pizzle, sizzle, swizzle, twizzle •reprisal, revisal •nozzle, shemozzle •acausal, causal, clausal, menopausal, monocausal •arousal, carousal, espousal, spousal, tousle •disposal, proposal •accusal, bamboozle, foozle, ouzel, perusal, refusal •guzzle, muzzle, nuzzle, puzzle •mangel-wurzel