different between tease vs plague

English

Alternative forms

• teaze (dated)

Etymology

From Middle English tesen, from Old English t?san (“to tease”), from Proto-West Germanic *taisijan (“to separate, tug, shred”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: t?z, IPA^(key): /ti?z/
• Homophones: teas, tees
• Rhymes: -i?z

Verb

tease (third-person singular simple present teases, present participle teasing, simple past and past participle teased)

1. To separate the fibres of a fibrous material.
2. To comb (originally with teasels) so that the fibres all lie in one direction.
3. To back-comb.
4. (transitive) To poke fun at, either cruelly or affectionately.
   • 2008, Lich King, "Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast ", Toxic Zombie Onslaught

5. (transitive) To provoke or disturb; to annoy.
   • 1684, Samuel Butler, Hudibras

     Not by the force of carnal reason, / But indefatigable teasing.

   • "My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects; […]."

6. (transitive) To manipulate or influence the behavior of, especially by repeated acts of irritation.
7. (transitive) To entice, tempt.
8. (transitive, informal) To show as forthcoming, in the manner of a teaser.

Usage notes

• Tease, in the sense of "make fun of," can refer to cruel statements but also affectionate or harmless ones, which may be taken in good humour by the recipient. By contrast, taunt only refers to cruel statements, as does mock unless qualified (e.g. gently mock).

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

tease (plural teases)

1. One who teases.
2. A single act of teasing.
3. One who deliberately arouses others (usually men) sexually with no intention of satisfying that arousal.

   Synonyms: cock tease, cocktease, cockteaser, prickteaser

Translations

Anagrams

• Seeta, setae, setæ

English

Etymology

From Middle English plage, borrowed from Old French plage, from Latin pl?ga (“blow, wound”), from plang? (“to strike”). Cognate with Middle Dutch pl?ghe (> Dutch plaag), pl?ghen (> Dutch plagen); Middle Low German pl?ge; Middle High German pl?ge, pfl?ge (> German Plage); pl?gen (> German plagen); Swedish plåga; French plaie, Occitan plaga. Doublet of plaga. Displaced native Old English w?l.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pl?g, IPA^(key): /ple??/, [p?l?e??]
• Rhymes: -e??

Noun

plague (countable and uncountable, plural plagues)

1. (often used with the, sometimes capitalized: the Plague) The bubonic plague, the pestilent disease caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis.
2. (pathology) An epidemic or pandemic caused by any pestilence, but specifically by the above disease.
3. A widespread affliction, calamity or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution.
4. (figuratively) A grave nuisance, whatever greatly irritates.

5. Collective noun for common grackles

Synonyms

• pest, pestilence

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

plague (third-person singular simple present plagues, present participle plaguing, simple past and past participle plagued)

1. (transitive) To harass, pester or annoy someone persistently or incessantly.
2. (transitive) To afflict with a disease or other calamity.

Derived terms

• plagued
• plaguer

Translations

Spanish

Verb

plague

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of plagar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of plagar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of plagar.