verb
tease
To gently pull apart or disentangle fibers or hair.
She teases the tangled wool apart.
Etymology
The Old English verb directly describes working fibers apart. This textile and hair-care sense preserves the original physical action.
More examples
- He teased loose fibers from the knot.
- The stylist teased a small section of hair.
- They gently teased the roots free of the old soil.
Forms
tease · teases · teased · teasing
Similar words
- separate
- Pull things apart more generally.
- comb out
- Disentangle with a comb.