▪ I. † teise, taise, n. Obs.
Also 5 teis, teys, tayse, tese.
[ME. a. OF. teise (11th c. in Godef. Compl.), mod.F. toise, = It. tēsa:—late L. tensa (sc. brachia) the outstretched arms.]
1. A lineal measure of six feet, a fathom; = toise.
| 13.. Sir Beues (A.) 1417 In me prisoun þow schelt abide Vnder þerþe twenti teise [v.rr. paise, pase]. c 1330 Florice & Bl. (1857) 241 A thousan[d] taisen be his heihe..And an hundre[d] taises he is wid And imaked with mochel prid. |
2. A superficial measure, a square toise.
| 1426–7 Rec. St. Mary at Hill 66 A pavier and his man to paue..v teys ij s xi d. 1477–9 Ibid. 89, For pavyng xj teis of pament for euery teis vij d—vj s v d. 1486 Nottingham Rec. III. 259 To þe pauer for workyng of vj. tayses in þe same gate..he takyng for a tayse vj d: summa iij s. 1492–3 Rec. St. Mary at Hill 190 Item, for pavyng of þe pamentt..for viij tese, pris þe tese, vij d. |
▪ II. † teise, taise, v.1 Obs.
Also 4 teyse, tese, 4–6 tayse, 5 tase, 6 tais.
[a. OF. teser, 3rd sing. pres. teise, toise (13th c. in Godef.):—late L. type *tēsāre:—tensāre to stretch, bend (a bow), f. tens-us stretched, bent.]
trans. To stretch, to bend (a bow); hence, to fit (an arrow or quarrel in a bow or arbalest) in order to shoot; to aim or direct (a shaft, etc.); to poise (a weapon) in taking aim. Also absol. or intr.
| 13.. Seuyn Sag. (W.) 1978 And in his hond an arblast heldand, And therinne a quarel taisand. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 13699 He teysed his dint, Bokkes to smyte. 1375 Barbour Bruce v. 623 He tasit the vyre and leit it fle, And hit the fader in the E. 13.. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. xliv. 43 So doþ þe ffisschere wiþ his hok: Hou he teseþ on þe Banke A brodly breyd I þe Brok. 1382 Wyclif Wisd. v. 22 As at the teising the bowe of cloudis bent. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 6938 Paris at him euel taysed. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 5262 Sore in þe bowe of treccherye he teisyth. c 1450 Merlin 590 Kynge Ban..spronge that wey with his swerde vp teysed to hym that hadde his knyght slayn. 1513 Douglas æneis x. viii. 102 A bustuus lance..That lang quhile taysit he in proper tene, Leit gird at Pallas. Ibid. vi. 106. |
▪ III. † teise, v.2 Obs.
Also 4 tayse, 5 teyse (6 teese), 7 tease, teaze.
[Origin unascertained. The forms agree with those of teise v.1, with which however the sense does not seem compatible. Both forms and sense separate it from tease v., although in late use it may have been sometimes associated with the latter in its modern sense, and hence confounded in spelling with it.]
trans. app. To drive (esp. a hunted beast); to chase; to urge on.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1169 Bi þay [the deer] were tened at þe hyȝe, & taysed to þe wattrez. c 1410 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xxxv, Who so be teysoures to þe kynge..as ofte as any hert cometh oute, he shulde..blowe a moot and rechate and late renne after to teyse it forth. c 1475 Partenay 1295 Into see thay went, the sayl vp gan reise, To cipresse contre ther shippes gan teise. 1559 Mirr. Mag. (1562) B b ij, A shyppe vpon the stormy seas, Which.. From shore to shore the wynde and tide do teese. 1615 Wither Sheph. Hunt. iii. in Juvenilia (1633) 407 My eager Dogs..Then I began with quicker speed to follow And teaz'd them on with a more cheerful hallow. 1819 Keats Isabella xxviii, They..did tease Their horses homeward, with convulsed spur. [Cf. 1888 Elworthy W. Som. Words, Tease (tēz), to drive; to harass. The only way to get rid o' they rabbits is to keep on tazin' o'm.] |
▪ IV. teise
obs. bad spelling of tease.