hackle
IPA: hˈækʌɫ
noun
- An instrument with steel pins used to comb out flax or hemp.
- (usually now in the plural) One of the long, narrow feathers on the neck of birds, most noticeable on the rooster.
- (fishing) A feather used to make a fishing lure or a fishing lure incorporating a feather.
- (usually now in the plural) By extension (because the hackles of a rooster are lifted when it is angry), the hair on the nape of the neck in dogs and other animals; also used figuratively for humans.
- A type of jagged crack extending inwards from the broken surface of a fractured material.
- A plate with rows of pointed needles used to blend or straighten hair.
- A feather plume on some soldier's uniforms, especially the hat or helmet.
- Any flimsy substance unspun, such as raw silk.
verb
- To dress (flax or hemp) with a hackle; to prepare fibres of flax or hemp for spinning.
- (transitive) To separate, as the coarse part of flax or hemp from the fine, by drawing it through the teeth of a hackle or hatchel.
- (archaic, transitive) To tear asunder; to break into pieces.
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Examples of "hackle" in Sentences
- It raises hackles of some folks.
- The throat hackles are shorter than in most other ravens.
- Consistent factitious editing raises hackles, that is all.
- The hackle is a feather plume that is attached to the headdress.
- I'm just saying to be cautious and to expect it to raise hackles.
- I just revisited this page and noticed all the hackles it raised.
- He may be an innocent user, but, at the moment, my hackles are up.
- Again, I'm not the first to have my hackles raised by this section.
- It is the largest and glossiest subspecies, with the longest throat hackles.
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