From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbristlebris‧tle1 /ˈbrɪsəl/ noun 1 HB[countable, uncountable] a short stiff hair that feels rough His chin was covered with bristles.2 D[countable] a short stiff hair, wire etc that forms part of a brush
Examples from the Corpus
bristle• Each peak induces a cell locally to divide and form a bristle.• When you consider life as a whole, intelligence is a mere bristle on the hog.• Use a soft bristle brush to loosen the grime and if possible a sprayer to wash it all off.• Lawrence then supposes that bristles grow soas to point down the concentration gradient.• Pete shot out with his hair standing on end like the bristles of a brush.• He ran a skeletal hand over the bristles of his hair.• Victoria: The bristles are too small.• Soft haired brushes are mostly used for watercolour or tempera painting, with bristle mainly for oils.bristlebristle2 verb [intransitive] 1 ANGRYANNOYto behave in a way that shows you are very angry or annoyedbristle with rage/indignation etc John pushed back his chair, bristling with rage.bristle at He bristled at her rudeness.2 HBAANGRYFRIGHTENEDif an animal’s hair bristles, it stands up stiffly because the animal is afraid or angry → bristle with something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
bristle• He scratched a bite on his arm and the little hairs bristled.• The more your manager pours praise and perks upon you, the more your friends will bristle.• She especially bristled at attacks on Rep.• It bristled with hand-stitched leather, walnut fascia and electronic instruments.• Dacourt joined us a few minutes later, his white moustache bristling with importance, his face a little more puce.• It bristles with intention and has much excellent playing, particularly from the leader.bristle at• Teachers bristled at the criticism of their school.Origin bristle1 (1200-1300) Old English byrst “bristle” 