▪ I. frizzle, n.1
(ˈfrɪz(ə)l)
[See frizzle v.1]
1. Frizzled hair; a short crisp curl.
| 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 650 They curle and fold the haire of their head, making a hill in the midst like a hat, with frizzles round about. 1641 Milton Animadv. (1851) 191 To rumple her laces, her frizzles, and her bobins. a 1845 Hood Hymeneal Retrosp. i. vii, Though now they look only like frizzles of wool, By a bramble torn off from a sheep. 1879 Browning Ned Bratts 32 Some blue fly Which punctured a dewy scalp where the frizzles stuck awry. |
| transf. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xviii. xiii, Bald crown of the landscape, girt with a frizzle of firwoods all round. |
† b. A frizzled wig. Obs.
| 1628 Bp. Hall Righteous Mammon Wks. 720 When his eyes should meet with a poudred frizle. |
2. [f. the vb.] The state of being frizzled.
| 1850 Hawthorne Scarlet L., Custom Ho. (1851) 39 A wig of majestic frizzle. |
3. attrib. and Comb., as † frizzle-frize, frizzle-head; frizzle-headed, frizzle-topped adjs.
| 1565 Golding Ovid's Met. viii. (1593) 208 The frizzle topped wench in coorse and sluttish geere. 1778 F. Burney Evelina lxxxii, Pray what do you do with that frizle-frize top of your own? 1840 Lady C. Bury Hist. Flirt iv, Fancy him bowing his little frizzle head. 1891 T. Hardy Tess I. 19 A frizzle-headed brawny damsel. |
▪ II. frizzle, n.2 dial.
(ˈfrɪz(ə)l)
Also 7 frezel, 9 friz(z)el.
[Cf. fleerish, furison.]
See quot. 1892.
| 1629 Z. Boyd Last Battell Soule 1266 He is euer readie to strik fyre with his frezell and his flint. c 1817 Hogg Tales & Sk. III. 192 Putting down the frizzel, and making it spring up again with a loud snap. 1892 Northumbld. Gloss. 305 Frizzle, in flint and steel guns the piece of iron acted on by the flint to produce the explosion. |
▪ III. frizzle, v.1
(ˈfrɪz(ə)l)
Forms: 6 frisel, frysle, 6–8 frisle, frizel(l, frizle, (7 frez-, frizil), 7– frizzle.
[This and the related frizzle n. are of obscure origin; they occur much earlier than frizz v. to curl (hair) from which they might be supposed to be derived; the verb to frieze cloth, however, which is etymologically identical, is older, and may have given rise to frisel as a frequentative formation. Cf. OFris. frisle, fresle, head of hair, curls, North Fris. friessle, fressle head of hair, lock of hair, mod.Fris. frisseljen, frislen to plait (esp. the hair); but the origin of these words, and their relation to the Eng. words, is uncertain; cf. also OF. fresel a comb worn in the hair.]
1. trans. To curl (hair) in small crisp curls.
| 1565–73 Cooper Thesaurus, Calamistratus, trimmed: crisped: or frisled. 1573 Twyne æneid Ll j, Lockes with bodkins frisled fine. 1631 R. Brathwait Eng. Gentlew. (1641) 283 A long lock he has got, and the art to frizle it. 1707 Curios. in Husb. & Gard. 277 'Tis enough only that her Hair be not frizzled. 1766 [Anstey] Bath Guide xi. 41 A prodigious rough black Head of Hair That is frizzled and curl'd o'er her Neck that is bare. 1822 W. Irving Braceb. Hall iv. 34 Her hair..is frizzled out and put up with pins. 1869 Trollope He Knew vii, Her grey hair was always frizzled with the greatest care. |
| absol. 1576 Gascoigne Steele Gl. Epil. 15 They..bumbast, bolster, frisle, and perfume. a 1613 Overbury A Wife (1638) 180 Hee studies by the discretion of his Barber, to frizle like a Baboone. |
† b. ? transf. To adorn with frills or ruffles. Obs.
[But possibly a distinct word. Cf. OF. freselé frilled, ruffled, f. fresel frill; also frislet.]
| 1753 Songs Costume (Percy) 231 Frizzle your elbows with ruffles sixteen. 1755 Lond. Mag. July 343 Circling round her iv'ry neck, Frizzle out the smart Vandike. |
2. intr. for refl. To form into crisp curls; to curl or twist up.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 505 The dust of the same mixed with oyl..doth cause the hair to frisle and curl. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Crown-Scab, A..malignant Matter, that breaks forth at the Roots of the Hair, where it sticks to the Skin, and makes it frizzle and stare. 1886 Law Times LXXXI. 84/1 The smoke and the noxious gases caused the leaves of the plants, etc., to curl and frizzle up. |
† 3. trans. To brush or touch lightly. Cf. frieze v.1 3.
| 1634 Peacham Gentl. Exerc. i. xxvi. 93 For a feather, Lake frizled with red lead. 1652 Wright tr. Camus' Nature's Paradox 134 The agreeable noise, which the Leaves of the Neighbouring Trees did make, when frizled by the Zephyr's welcome Wings. |
Hence ˈfrizzling ppl. a. Also ˈfrizzler, one who frizzles.
| 1779 Forrest Voy. N. Guinea 95 Their comb..with which they now and then combed their frizzling locks. 1779–80 Cook Voy. (1785) I. 183 In some it [hair] was of a frizzling disposition. 1816 J. Gilchrist Philos. Etym. 263 Musicians, dancing-masters, perfumers, frizzlers, gilders. |
▪ IV. frizzle, v.2
(ˈfrɪz(ə)l)
[f. frizz v.2: see -le.]
a. intr. = frizz v.2 a. b. trans. To fry, toast, or grill (with a sputtering noise).
| a. 1839 Thackeray Fatal Boots (1869) 362 A nice fresh steak was frizzling on the gridiron. 1863 Confess. Ticket-of-Leave Man 77 Jack dropped the candle, and set some of the wigs frizzling. 1874 G. W. Dasent Tales Fjeld 187 He heard the molten lead bubbling and frizzling in our clerk's throat. |
| b. 1858 Hawthorne Fr. & It. Jrnls. II. 134 When the sun had the fairest chance to frizzle me. 1888 Burgon Lives 12 Gd. Men I. iv. 388 To pull a herring daily from the string, and to frizzle it..for breakfast. |
Hence ˈfrizzled, ˈfrizzling ppl. adjs. Also ˈfrizzle n., the action of the vb.
| 1852 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. iv, Aunt Chloe..presiding..over certain frizzling items in a stewpan. 1860 All Year Round 460 My frizzling brains. 1891 Rutland Gloss. s.v. ‘The doctor says as how he's to hev some frizzled mutton.’ 1894 Crockett Raiders (ed. 3) 35 Flounders..with their tails jerking Flip, flap, in the frizzle of the pan. |