touse verb & noun. [taʊz] Also towse, towze. ME.
[Corresp. to Low German tūsen pull or shake about, Old High German zirzuson, erzūsen tear to pieces, German zausen: prob. already in Old English. In Middle English only with prefixes be-, to-. Cf. TOUSLE.]
A. verb.
1. verb trans. Pull roughly about, handle roughly, = TOUSLE verb 1; (of a dog) tear at, worry. Now Scot. & dial. ME.
b. Pull out of joint, rack. rare (Shakes.). Only in E17.

2. verb intrans. Tussle; fig. rummage. M16-L17.

3. verb trans. Tease (wool). Long obsolete exc. Scot. L16.
b. noun.
1. Rough pulling about, horseplay; commotion, uproar, fuss. dial. L18.

2. = TOUSLE noun 2. dial. L19.

■ tousing noun (chiefly dial.) (a) the action of the verb; an instance of this; (b) a beating, a defeat: M16.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲