- bristle
- [[t]brɪ̱s(ə)l[/t]]
bristles, bristling, bristled1) N-COUNT: usu pl Bristles are the short hairs that grow on a man's chin after he has shaved. The hairs on the top of a man's head can also be called bristles when they are cut very short.
...two days' growth of bristles...
He rubbed his hands over the soft bristles of his crew cut.
Syn:2) N-COUNT The bristles of a brush are the thick hairs or hair-like pieces of plastic which are attached to it.As soon as the bristles on your toothbrush begin to wear, throw it out.
3) N-COUNT Bristles are thick, strong animal hairs that feel hard and rough.It has a short stumpy tail covered with bristles.
4) VERB If the hair on a person's or animal's body bristles, it rises away from their skin because they are cold, frightened, or angry.It makes the hairs at the nape of the neck bristle...
Cats yowl. My dog's hair bristles in response.
Syn:stand on end5) VERB If you bristle at something, you react to it angrily, and show this in your expression or the way you move.[V at/with n] Ellis bristles at accusations that Berkeley's experiment is ill-conceived...
[V at/with n] He bristled with indignation at the suggestion that he was racist. [Also V]
Syn:6) VERB (emphasis) If you say that a place or thing bristles with people or with other things, you are emphasizing that it contains a great number of them.[V with n] The country bristles with armed groups...
[V with n] The idea fairly bristles with controversy...
[V with n] Their vocabulary bristles fashionably with talk of federalism.
English dictionary. 2008.
