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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tasil(l, Tassill, n. Also: tassyll, tassall, tazel, -il(l, tayssill, tessell, teasell, teassel(l, -al(l, torsel(l. [ME and e.m.E. tesel (c1265), tasele (1326), tasil (Wyclif), teasell (1564), tesill (1565-73), OE tǽs(e)l, AF teizel.]

1. (A) teasel, the thistle-like plant. c1500 Makc. MS xiii 46.
Hec mataxa, a hekyll. Hec carduus [pr. cardnis], a tasell. Hec mastix, mader 1500-1699 Herbarius Latinus Annot. cxlvii (Bot.).
Virga pastoris, tassill, wild tasil

2. The dried prickly flower-head of the teasel, used for raising the nap on cloth. Also comb.(a) 14.. Acts I 306/2.
Gyf ony tassall [L. cardones] walde or ony vthyr marchandys brocht in tonnys be tappyt and sauld the tome ton salbe the kyngys and thai sal hafe … for ilk thousand tassallis a peny and ilk barell of tasill twa peniis 14.. Acts I 308/2.
Giff ony alien schip come carkyt wyth wyn or tonnys wyth hony or oyle or tassillis [etc.] 1502 Halyb. 274.
4 pipis tassyll 1542–3 Linlithgow B. Ct. 24 Jan.
That na craftisman of that faculte werk nor dycht na clayth of nakin sort within the said burgh bot with tasillis alanerlie and gyf thaj do wthir wais athir with cairdis or wthir instrument that ma be apprewit the persone that aucht the vob sall haue the werkmanschip fre 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 233 (see Stek(e n. 1).
Tazel 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 294 (see Stek(e n. 1).
Tazillis(b) 1493 Halyb. 39.
2 pipis of tayssillis(c) 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 310.
Ane few number of torsellis will serve for ane tyme. I hoip with the grace of God to caus thame grow in our awin countrie quhen the work salbe plantit(d) 1681 New Mills Manuf. 14.
For oyle tessells argall mather and shoe mack 1685 New Mills Manuf. 105.
Three packs of fyne tessells small and fyne houped(e) 1701 New Mills Manuf. 232.
Teassells 1702 New Mills Manuf. 297.
Teassels 1703 New Mills Manuf. 345.
Teassallscomb. 1681 New Mills Manuf. lxxxviii.
Teasell handles