bristle
[ bris-uhl ]
/ ˈbrɪs əl /
Save This Word!
noun
one of the short, stiff, coarse hairs of certain animals, especially hogs, used extensively in making brushes.
anything resembling these hairs.
verb (used without object), bris·tled, bris·tling.
verb (used with object), bris·tled, bris·tling.
QUIZ
TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS
Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”
Question 1 of 7
What does "dignity" mean?
Origin of bristle
before 1000; Middle English bristel, equivalent to brist (Old English byrst bristle, cognate with German Borste,Old Norse burst) + -el diminutive suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM bristle
bris·tle·less, adjectivebris·tle·like, adjectivenon·bris·tled, adjectiveun·bris·tled, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use bristle in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bristle
bristle
/ (ˈbrɪsəl) /
noun
any short stiff hair of an animal or plant
something resembling these hairtoothbrush bristle
verb
Derived forms of bristle
bristly, adjectiveWord Origin for bristle
C13 bristil, brustel, from earlier brust, from Old English byrst; related to Old Norse burst, Old High German borst
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012