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bristle
The definition of a bristle is a stiff hair.
(noun)An example of a bristle is the pointy part of a stiff hairbrush.
Bristle means to stand like a stiff hair or to show anger.
(verb)An example of to bristle is for a cat's fur to stand straight up when scared.
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See bristle in Webster's New World College Dictionary
noun
- any short, stiff, prickly hair of an animal or plant
- any of the hairs of a hog or of some other animals, used for brushes
- such a hair, or an artificial hair like it, in a brush
Origin: ME bristel, metathetic < OE byrst; akin to Ger borste, bristles < IE *bhsti- < base *bhar-, point, bristle
intransitive verb bristled, bristling
- to become stiff and erect, like bristles
- to have the bristles become erect, as in fear or irritation
- to show strong anger, irritation, outrage, etc. as by a stiffening of the body
- to be thickly covered (with): the battlefield bristled with guns
transitive verb
- to cause to stand up like bristles
- to put bristles on or in
- to make bristly
See bristle in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
- A stiff hair.
- A stiff hairlike structure: the bristles of a wire brush.
- To stand stiffly on end like bristles: The hair on the dog's neck bristled.
- To raise the bristles: The cat bristled at the sight of the large dog.
- To react in an angry or offended manner: The author bristled at the suggestion of plagiarism.
- To be covered or thick with or as if with bristles: The path bristled with thorns.
- To cause to stand erect like bristles; stiffen.
- To furnish or supply with bristles.
- To make bristly; ruffle.
Origin:
Origin: Middle English bristel
Origin: , probably from Old English *byrstel
Origin: , from byrst, bristle
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