Dictionary

touse en · NOUN

Etymology

From Middle English tousen, tusen, from Old English *tūsian, from Proto-West Germanic *tūsōn. Cognate with German zausen (“to tousle”). Related also to English tease and toase. (a noisy disturbance): Compare typologically Russian раздра́й (razdráj) (<… драть (dratʹ)).

Meanings

1. a noisy disturbance

Forms

touse en · VERB

Etymology

From Middle English tousen, tusen, from Old English *tūsian, from Proto-West Germanic *tūsōn. Cognate with German zausen (“to tousle”). Related also to English tease and toase. (a noisy disturbance): Compare typologically Russian раздра́й (razdráj) (<… драть (dratʹ)).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To rumple, tousle.
2. (transitive) To pull to pieces.
   • How did he like it when the live creatures Tickled and toused and browsed him all over, And worm, slug, eft, with serious features Came in, each one, for his right of trover? 1844, Robert Browning, "Garden Fancies," II. Sibrandus Schafnaburgennis
   • His tongue troules like a Mill-clack: a towzes the Lady ſiſters, as a tumbling Dog does young Rabets; […] c. 1635–1636 (date written), Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], The Fancies, Chast and Noble: […], London: […] E[lizabeth] P[urslowe] for Henry Seile, […], published 1638, →OCLC, Act III, page 39:

Forms

Deriveds

touser · tousy · tousle