1) A plant, the heads of which have hooked prickles.
These were used by clothiers to tease cloth, thereby raising the nap. Some were imported in earlier centuries and Somerset later provided large quantities to the trade. However, from the mid eighteenth century Sherburn in Elmet was at the centre of a teasel-growing area which supplied local demand until c.1850: 1461 10 skyve tasells, Hull
1562 Taysles iijs iiijd, Kendal.