Yahoo Web Search

Search results

1. Dictionary

   bristle

   /ˈbrɪsl/

   noun

   • 1. a short, stiff hair on an animal's skin or a man's face. Similar hairwhiskerstubbledesigner stubblefive o'clock shadowtechnical:seta
   • ▪ a stiff animal hair, or a man-made substitute, used to make a brush: "a toothbrush with nylon bristles" Similar pricklespinequillthornbarb

   verb

   • 1. (of hair or fur) stand upright away from the skin, typically as a sign of anger or fear: "the hair on the back of his neck bristled" Similar risestand upstand on endliterary:horripilate
   • ▪ (of an animal) react in such a way that its hair or fur stands on end: "the cat bristled in annoyance"
   • ▪ (of a person) react angrily or defensively: "she bristled at his rudeness" Similar get angrybecome infuriatedbe furiousbe maddenedbridlebecome indignantbe irritatedget/have one's hackles upfeel one's hackles riserear updraw oneself upflare upsee redtake offencetake umbragebe defensive
   • 2. be covered with or abundant in: "the roof bristled with antennae" Similar aboundswarmteemcrawloverflowhumbe alivebe packedbe crowdedbe throngedbe jammedbe infestedbe fullbe coveredinformal:be thickbe crawlingbe lousybe stuffedbe jam-packedbe chock-a-blockbe chock-full

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old Englishbyrst (of Germanic origin, related to German Borste) + -le1.

   Scrabble Points: 9

   • B

     3

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • S

     1

   • T

     1

   • L

     1

   • E

     1

   Powered by Oxford Dictionaries

   More definitions, origin and scrabble points