hackle

¹

[ hak-uhl ]

noun

1. one of the long, slender feathers on the neck or saddle of certain birds, as the domestic rooster, much used in making artificial flies for anglers.
2. the neck plumage of a male bird, as the domestic rooster.
3. hackles,
   1. the erectile hair on the back of an animal's neck:

      At the sound of footsteps, the dog raised her hackles.

   2. anger, especially when aroused in a challenging or challenged manner:

      with one's hackles up.

4. Angling.
   1. the legs of an artificial fly made with feathers from the neck or saddle of a rooster or other such bird.
   2. hackle fly ( def ).
5. a comb for dressing flax or hemp.

verb (used with object)

, hack·led, hack·ling.

1. Angling. to equip with a hackle.
2. to comb, as flax or hemp.

hackle

²

[ hak-uhl ]

verb (used with object)

, hack·led, hack·ling.

1. to cut roughly; hack; mangle.

hackle

/ ˈhækəl /

noun

1. any of the long slender feathers on the necks of poultry and other birds
2. angling
   1. parts of an artificial fly made from hackle feathers, representing the legs and sometimes the wings of a real fly
   2. short for hackle fly
3. a feathered ornament worn in the headdress of some British regiments
4. a steel flax comb

verb

1. to comb (flax) using a hackle

Derived Forms

• ˈhackler, noun

Other Words From

• hackler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hackle¹

First recorded in 1450–1400; late Middle English hakel(e), hakle “animal's skin; bird's plumage”; heckle

Origin of hackle²

First recorded in 1560–70; hack ¹ + -le; cognate with Middle Dutch hakkelen

Word History and Origins

Origin of hackle¹

C15: hakell, probably from Old English; variant of heckle ; see hatchel

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. raise one's hackles, to arouse one's anger:

   Such officiousness always raises my hackles.

Example Sentences

The idea of legislation that affects only Mountain Valley Pipeline is raising hackles, but anything written broadly enough to include other projects might garner resistance from companies satisfied with their local appellate courts.

From Washington Post

Robin and I just had to plow through and keep our hackles up.

From Time

The White Palmer—dubbed with white peacock's harl, and a black hackle over it.

From Project Gutenberg

The Black Palmer—dubbed with black copper coloured peacock's harl, and a black cock's hackle over that, wings, blackbird.

From Project Gutenberg

The Harry Longlegs—dubbed with darkish brown hair, and a brown hackle over it, head rather large.

From Project Gutenberg

White Moth—strands from an Ostrich, wings from a white Pigeon, a white hackle for legs, and a black head.

From Project Gutenberg

The Cad bait, with a little hackle round the top of the shank of the hook, kills well.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bathe
• brush
• cleanse
• clear up
• disinfect
• dredge
• dust
• mop
• pick
• pick up
• rinse
• scrape
• scrub
• soak
• spruce up
• sweep
• vacuum
• wash
• wipe