touzle: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low / Archaic / DialectalLiterary, Dialectal, Archaic
Quick answer
What does “touzle” mean?
To make (especially hair) untidy or dishevelled by rubbing or tousling.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To make (especially hair) untidy or dishevelled by rubbing or tousling.
To handle roughly or carelessly; to disarrange, rumple, or disorder something, often with a sense of affectionate or playful roughness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling 'touzle' is a chiefly Scottish and Northern English variant. The standard form 'tousle' is used in both varieties, but the word is rare overall. It may be encountered more in British literary or dialect contexts than in American ones.
Connotations
In British usage, it may retain a slight dialectal or rustic charm. In American usage, if encountered, it would be seen as an archaic or deliberately quaint spelling.
Frequency
Extremely rare in both. 'Tousle' is the dominant form, but even it is of low frequency.
Grammar
How to Use “touzle” in a Sentence
[Subject] touzles [Object] (e.g., The wind touzled her hair).[Subject] gets/became touzled (e.g., His hair was all touzled).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “touzle” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The playful pup would always touzle the fringe of the rug.
- A gust from the sea touzled his already wild hair.
American English
- He gently touzled his son's hair after the game.
- The storm winds touzled the tall prairie grasses.
adverb
British English
- Not standardly used.
American English
- Not standardly used.
adjective
British English
- He arrived with a charmingly touzled look, as if he'd just ridden a motorcycle.
- The touzled bed sheets suggested a restless night.
American English
- She preferred her hair in a deliberately touzled, beach-wave style.
- The touzled feathers of the bird indicated it had been in a scuffle.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Only in historical or dialectological texts.
Everyday
Extremely rare; 'tousle' might be used playfully.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “touzle”
- Misspelling as 'tousle' (which is actually correct for the standard form).
- Using it in formal contexts.
- Pronouncing the 'z' as /s/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are variants with the same meaning. 'Touzle' is an older, chiefly Scottish and Northern English spelling, while 'tousle' is the standard modern form.
No, it is very rare and considered archaic or dialectal. The form 'tousle' is used, but it is also not a high-frequency word.
Primarily, but it can be extended to other things that can be ruffled or disordered, like fabric, grass, or feathers.
Recognising it as a rare variant of 'tousle' and understanding its appropriate, highly limited register (literary/dialectal).
To make (especially hair) untidy or dishevelled by rubbing or tousling.
Touzle is usually literary, dialectal, archaic in register.
Touzle: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtaʊz(ə)l/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtaʊz(ə)l/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to 'touzle'. The common idiom uses 'tousle': 'tousle someone's hair'.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TOW-ZEALOUS friend who ruffles your hair with too much zeal, leaving it 'touzled'.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISORDER IS PHYSICAL AGITATION (the result of a physical action creating a disordered state).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'touzle' MOST likely to be found?