bristle
noun
bris·tle
| \ ˈbri-səl
\
\
Definition of bristle
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a short stiff coarse hair or filament
hog bristles short bristle paint brushes
bristle
verb
bristled;
bristling\ ˈbris-liŋ
, ˈbri-sə- \
, ˈbri-sə- \
Definition of bristle (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to furnish with short stiff coarse hairs or filaments : to furnish with bristles
1a
: to rise and stand stiffly erect
quills bristling
b
: to raise the bristles (as in anger)
a snarling, bristling dog
2
: to take on an aggressively defensive attitude (as in response to a slight or criticism)
he bristled at the accusations of corruption
3a
: to be full of or covered with especially something suggestive of bristles
roofs bristled with chimneys
b
: to be full of something specified
book bristles with detail and irony— W. J. Broad
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Other Words from bristle
Noun
bristlelike
\ ˈbri-sə(l)-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms for bristle
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
abound, brim, bulge, burst, bustle, buzz, crawl, hum, overflow, pullulate, swarm, teem
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Examples of bristle in a Sentence
Noun
a face covered with bristles the bristles of a brushVerb
Electricity makes your hair bristle. a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Fruits are 1/5 of an inch long, with a crown of bristles on one end. — Howard Garrett, Dallas News, "These two easy-to-grow perennials will attract tons of beneficial insects in your Texas garden," 6 Aug. 2019 How to choose the best dry body brush Body brushes can be constructed with materials like wood and synthetic or natural bristles made from plant fibers like sisal (derived from agave). — April Franzino, Good Housekeeping, "What Is "Dry Brushing" and Can It Really Cure Cellulite?," 31 July 2019 These bristles help pick up and lay down pigment for true color application in just one sweep. — Angela Trakoshis, Allure, "Beautyblender Just Launched Makeup Brushes, and We’ve Got the Exclusive Details," 17 July 2019 Children are attracted to the hollow, dark reddish-purple spotted stems, which have a blister-like texture and a bristle emerging from each bump. — oregonlive.com, "Toxic giant hogweed sap that burns, blisters skin found in Clark County," 13 July 2019 Its tree is an evergreen and, like some of its species such as bristle cone pines, is extraordinarily long-lived. — Bill St. John, The Denver Post, "Marinating olives, Sicilian style and simply," 12 June 2019 Each caterpillar is spiked with up to 700,000 pointed defensive bristles, which are carried by the breeze and may provoke rashes, coughing, allergic reactions, or irritation if inhaled or touched. — Natasha Frost, Quartz, "Europe is under siege from a plague of incredibly hairy, toxic caterpillars," 6 July 2019 Every so often, though, a thicket of high-rise apartments appears in the distance, shooting up from the horizon like the bristles of a laid-flat toothbrush. — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "How Do You Say 'Cheesecake Factory' In Mandarin? Behind the Scenes of Life in the Chinese Basketball Association," 27 June 2019 The melodic whisper-voice put me into a state of calm bliss, in a way that was no less satisfying than watching a YouTuber tap her fingernails against the microphone, or hearing the soft bristles of a paintbrush coursing against a blank wall. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "Small Sounds, Big Money: The Commercialization of ASMR," 20 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Some homeowners — including Chad Joseph, who lived on Lake McQueeney for 14 years — have bristled at a proposal to create voter-approved taxing districts to pay for potential dam repairs. — Joshua Fechter, ExpressNews.com, "Proposal to drain Lake McQueeney in wake of dam failures ripples through small town," 11 Aug. 2019 Trump has long bristled at the term ‘‘vacation’’ and is expected to hold a handful of official events and trips while settled in New Jersey’s horse country. — Jonathan Lemire, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump heads for golf club holiday with summer storms looming," 9 Aug. 2019 Pyongyang has long bristled at American bomber flights from Guam, which could retaliate against a North Korea nuclear strike within several hours. — Ankit Panda, The New Republic, "Trump’s Reckless New Missile Race," 5 Aug. 2019 Many Chinese people and their defenders have bristled at the implication that the entire Chinese society poses a national security threat. — New York Times, "A New Red Scare Is Reshaping Washington," 20 July 2019 North Korea has long bristled at the significant U.S. military presence in South Korea, and wants assurances it will not be targeted by the U.S. and South Korea. — Adam Schreck, Time, "The U.S. and North Korea Are in Talks to Set Up a Third Trump-Kim Summit, South Korea's President Says," 26 June 2019 May 27, 201901:59 North Korea has long bristled at the significant U.S. military presence in South Korea, and wants assurances it will not be targeted by the U.S. and South Korea. — NBC News, "U.S., North Korea in talks to set up 3rd Trump-Kim summit, Moon says," 26 June 2019 North Korea has long bristled at the significant U.S. military presence in South Korea, and wants assurances it will not be targeted by the U.S. and South Korea. — Adam Schreck, Hyung-jin Kim And Kim Tong-hyung, USA TODAY, "US and North Korea in talks to set up third Trump-Kim summit, Seoul says," 26 June 2019 Both America and Taiwan have bristled at China’s attempt to strong-arm the airlines. — The Economist, "A deadline looms in China’s battle with foreign firms over Taiwan," 5 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bristle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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