Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 3–7 tose, 4–7 toose, 6 tooze (toese), 7–8 toase, (7 toaze), 6– toze. [ME. tosen (a. 1250 in compound to-tosen); not recorded in OE.; but the later forms toase, etc., indicate an OE. *tásian, f. verbal root tás-:—OTeut. tais-, whence also OE. tǽsan (:—*taisjan) to TEASE (q.v. for further relations).] trans. To pull asunder; to separate or unravel the fibers of; to comb or card (wool, etc.); = TEASE v.1 1.
a. 1225. [see To-tose, TO-2 1].
1346. Litt. Red Bk. Bristol (1900), II. 2. Item si fila deficiant in panno vel quod nimis distent quod textores appellant tosed.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 17. And what Schep that is full of wulle Upon his back, thei toose and pulle, Whil ther is eny thing to pile.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 41. A good quantite of tow I-tosid.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 497/2. Toson wulle or other lyke [v.r. tosyn or tose wul], carpo.
1530. Palsgr., 760/1. I toose wolle, or cotton, or suche lyke, je force de la laine, and je charpis de la laine.
1567. Golding, Ovid’s Met., XIV. 305. What toozing wooll did meene.
1577. Northbrooke, Dicing (1843), 81. Many … may pick wool, and sow garments, or tose okam.
1615. Markham, Eng. Housew., II. v. (1668), 123. Toase it every lock by lock.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 155. Peeces of a junke or rope, chopped very small,… and after tozed all as oacombe.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., 42. The Internal parts … were … as it were, tos’d open like a Lock of Wool.
1725. Bradley’s Fam. Dict., s.v. Mixing Colours, Wool … must be taken out and toas’d over-again; for the first Toasing was to make it receive the Colour or Die; but the second is to … make it fit for Spinning.
1881. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., s.v. Tag, Snip the end off the tag, an’ toze it well as the grace can get among it.
b. transf. To pull, pull about. (Cf. TOUSE.)
14[?]. Sir Beues, 1952 + 2 (MS. M). That they were in the grene wose, And I shold hem well tose.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 206. For euerie crime, What toesed eares, like baited beares!
c. fig. To separate, search out; to analyze; to elicit, ‘tease out.’
c. 1450. Cov. Myst., xlii. (1841), 401. The trewthe fful trewlye he wyl tose, And send ȝow to hevyn or helle.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 760. For that I insinuate, or [printed at] toaze from thee thy Businesse.
1633. D. R[ogers], Treat. Sacram., II. 44. Doe it more fully, toze your consciences.
1648. Jenkyn, Blind Guide, i. 8. The spurious expositions … upon the Scriptures in his tedious tozing of them.
Hence ǁ Tozed, tosed ppl. a., † Tozing vbl. sb.; † Tozer, a comber or carder (of wool, etc.).
1346. Tosed [see above].
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 497/2. Tosare, of wulle or other lyke, carptrix. Tosynge, of wulle or oþer thyngys, carptura.
14[?]. Noble Bk. Cookry (1882), 103. Charge it with the tosed flesshe.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 321/1. For euerie sacke of tosed wool, seuen marks.
1632. trans. Bruel’s Praxis Med., 22. Dippe toosed Wooll herein.
1648. Tozing [see c above].
1725. Toasing [see above].
