bristle
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bris·tle
(brĭs′əl)n.
1. A stiff hair.
2. A stiff hairlike structure: the bristles of a wire brush.
v. bris·tled, bris·tling, bris·tles
v.intr.
1. To stand stiffly on end like bristles: The hair on the dog's neck bristled.
2. To raise the bristles: The cat bristled at the sight of the large dog.
3. To react in an angry or offended manner: The author bristled at the suggestion of plagiarism.
4. To be covered or thick with or as if with bristles: The path bristled with thorns.
v.tr.
1. To cause to stand erect like bristles; stiffen.
2. To furnish or supply with bristles.
3. To make bristly; ruffle.
[Middle English bristel, probably from Old English *byrstel, from byrst, bristle.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bristle
(ˈbrɪsəl)n
1. (Biology) any short stiff hair of an animal or plant
2. something resembling these hairs: toothbrush bristle.
vb
3. (when: intr, often foll by up) to stand up or cause to stand up like bristles: the angry cat's fur bristled.
4. (sometimes foll by: up) to show anger, indignation, etc: she bristled at the suggestion.
5. (intr) to be thickly covered or set: the target bristled with arrows.
6. (intr) to be in a state of agitation or movement: the office was bristling with activity.
7. (tr) to provide with a bristle or bristles
[C13 bristil, brustel, from earlier brust, from Old English byrst; related to Old Norse burst, Old High German borst]
ˈbristly adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bris•tle
(ˈbrɪs əl)n., v. -tled, -tling. n.
1. one of the short, stiff, coarse hairs of certain animals, esp. hogs, used in making brushes.
2. anything resembling these hairs.
v.i. 3. to stand or rise stiffly, like bristles.
4. to erect the bristles, as an irritated animal.
5. to become rigid with anger or irritation.
6. to be thickly set with something suggestive of bristles: The plain bristled with bayonets.
v.t. 7. to erect like bristles.
8. to furnish with bristles.
9. to make bristly.
[before 1000; Middle English bristel]
bris′tle•less, adj.
bris′tle•like`, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
bristle
Past participle: bristled
Gerund: bristling
| Imperative |
|---|
| bristle |
| bristle |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | bristle - a stiff fiber (coarse hair or filament); natural or synthetic brush - an implement that has hairs or bristles firmly set into a handle |
| 2. | bristle - a stiff hair hair - a filamentous projection or process on an organism | |
| Verb | 1. |  bristle - be in a state of movement or action; "The room abounded with screaming children"; "The garden bristled with toddlers" |
| 2. | bristle - rise up as in fear; "The dog's fur bristled"; "It was a sight to make one's hair uprise!" | |
| 3. | bristle - have or be thickly covered with or as if with bristles; "bristling leaves" | |
| 4. | bristle - react in an offended or angry manner; "He bristled at her suggestion that he should teach her how to use the program" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
bristle
noun
verb
1. stand up, rise, prickle, stand on end, horripilate It makes the hair on the nape of my neck bristle.
2. be angry, rage, seethe, flare up, bridle, see red, be infuriated, spit (informal), go ballistic (slang, chiefly U.S.), be maddened, wig out (slang), get your dander up (slang) He bristled with indignation.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
bristle
verb1. To be or become angry:
Informal: steam.
Idioms: blow a fuse, blow a gasket, blow one's stack, breathe fire, fly off the handle, get hot under the collar, hit the ceiling, lose one's temper, see red.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
شَعْرٌ خَشِنُ
chlupštětina
børstebørstehår
sörte
burst, stinnt hár
šeriaišeriuotasšerysšiurkštus
sari
kocinaščetina
sert kıl
bristle
[ˈbrɪsl]Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
bristle
[ˈbrɪsəl] n → poil m
vi
to bristle with sth (fig) (= have a large number) → grouiller de qch
to bristle at sth → se hérisser à qch
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
bristle
vi
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
bristle
[ˈbrɪsl]Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
bristle
(ˈbrisl) noun a short, stiff hair on an animal or brush. The dog's bristles rose when it was angry.
ˈbristly adjective having bristles; rough. a bristly moustache.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
bristle
n (of a brush) cerda; soft-bristle de cerda suave; stiff-bristle o hard-bristle de cerda duraEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.