Definitions for: Bristle


[n] a stiff hair
[n] a stiff fiber (coarse hair or filament); natural or synthetic
[v] rise up; of animals fur or hair; as in fear; "The dog's fur bristled"; "It was a sight to make one's hair uprise!"
[v] be in a state of movement or action; "The room abounded with screaming children"; "The garden bristled with toddlers"



Webster (1913) Definition: Bris"tle (br[i^]s"s'l), n. [OE. bristel, brustel, AS.
bristl, byrst; akin to D. borstel, OHG. burst, G. borste,
Icel. burst, Sw. borst, and to Skr. bh[.r]shti edge, point,
and prob, L. fastigium extremity, Gr. 'a`flaston stern of a
ship, and E. brush, burr, perh. to brad. [root]96.]
1. A short, stiff, coarse hair, as on the back of swine.

2. (Bot.) A stiff, sharp, roundish hair. --Gray.


Bris"tle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bristled; p. pr. & vb.
n. Bristling.]
1. To erect the bristles of; to cause to stand up, as the
bristles of an angry hog; -- sometimes with up.

Now for the bare-picked bone of majesty Doth dogged
war bristle his angry crest. --Shak.

Boy, bristle thy courage up. --Shak.

2. To fix a bristle to; as, to bristle a thread.


Bris"tle, v. i.
1. To rise or stand erect, like bristles.

His hair did bristle upon his head. --Sir W.
Scott.

2. To appear as if covered with bristles; to have standing,
thick and erect, like bristles.

The hill of La Haye Sainte bristling with ten
thousand bayonets. --Thackeray.

Ports bristling with thousands of masts. --Macaulay.

3. To show defiance or indignation.

To bristle up, to show anger or defiance.

Synonyms: abound, burst, stand up, uprise

See Also: brush, feature, fiber, fibre, hair, have

Try our:
Scrabble Word Finder

Scrabble Cheat

Words With Friends Cheat

Hanging With Friends Cheat

Scramble With Friends Cheat

Ruzzle Cheat



Related Resources:
animals starting with e
a letter animals
animals starting with x