Bristle \Bris"tle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bristled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bristling.]

1. To erect the bristles of; to cause to stand up, as the bristles of an angry hog; -- sometimes with up. [1913 Webster]

Now for the bare-picked bone of majesty Doth dogged war bristle his angry crest. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Boy, bristle thy courage up. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. To fix a bristle to; as, to bristle a thread. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Bristle \Bris"tle\, v. i.

1. To rise or stand erect, like bristles. [1913 Webster]

His hair did bristle upon his head. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

2. To appear as if covered with bristles; to have standing, thick and erect, like bristles. [1913 Webster]

The hill of La Haye Sainte bristling with ten thousand bayonets. --Thackeray. [1913 Webster]

Ports bristling with thousands of masts. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

3. To show defiance or indignation. [1913 Webster]

To bristle up, to show anger or defiance. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Bristle \Bris"tle\ (br[i^]s"s'l), n. [OE. bristel, brustel, AS. bristl, byrst; akin to D. borstel, OHG. burst, G. borste, Icel. burst, Sw. borst, and to Skr. bh[.r]shti edge, point, and prob, L. fastigium extremity, Gr. 'a`flaston stern of a ship, and E. brush, burr, perh. to brad. [root]96.]

1. A short, stiff, coarse hair, as on the back of swine. [1913 Webster]

2. (Bot.) A stiff, sharp, roundish hair. --Gray. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

172 Moby Thesaurus words for "bristle": Vandyke, acuminate, aggravate, anger, annoy, arise, arouse, badger, bait, barb, barbel, be alive, be at, be keen, beard, beaver, bedevil, beset, bite, blow up, boil, boil over, bother, bramble, bridle, bridle up, brier, bristle up, bristle with, bristles, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn, burn up, burr, cactus, capillament, catchweed, chafe, chivy, cilium, cleavers, coat, cock up, corrugate, crawl, crinkle, crumple, cut, devil, discompose, distemper, disturb, dog, down, embitter, exasperate, exercise, fash, flare up, fleece, flip out, fret, fume, fur, get, get mad, get sore, get up, goatee, goose grass, gripe, hair, harass, harry, have an edge, heckle, hector, horripilate, horsehair, hound, huff, imperial, incense, inflame, irk, irritate, jump up, mane, miff, molest, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, peach fuzz, peeve, pelt, persecute, pester, pick on, pile, pine needle, pique, plague, pluck the beard, pother, prick, prickle, provoke, pubescence, pubic hair, quill, rage, ramp, rankle, reach boiling point, rear, rear up, ride, rile, rise, rise up, roil, ruffle, rumple, see red, seethe, set on edge, set up, seta, setula, setule, shag, side whiskers, sit bolt upright, sit up, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, stand up, stick, stick up, sticker, sting, stir the blood, stir up, striga, stubble, swarm, tease, teem, thistle, thorn, torment, try the patience, tuft, tweak the nose, upheave, uprear, uprise, vex, whisker, whiskers, wool, work up, worry, wrinkle, yucca

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

bristle

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Bristle \Bris"tle\ (br[i^]s"s'l), n. [OE. bristel, brustel, AS. bristl, byrst; akin to D. borstel, OHG. burst, G. borste, Icel. burst, Sw. borst, and to Skr. bh[.r]shti edge, point, and prob, L. fastigium extremity, Gr. 'a`flaston stern of a ship, and E. brush, burr, perh. to brad. [root]96.]

1. A short, stiff, coarse hair, as on the back of swine.

2. (Bot.) A stiff, sharp, roundish hair. --Gray.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Bristle \Bris"tle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bristled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bristling.]

1. To erect the bristles of; to cause to stand up, as the bristles of an angry hog; -- sometimes with up.

Now for the bare-picked bone of majesty Doth dogged war bristle his angry crest. --Shak.

Boy, bristle thy courage up. --Shak.

2. To fix a bristle to; as, to bristle a thread.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Bristle \Bris"tle\, v. i.

1. To rise or stand erect, like bristles.

His hair did bristle upon his head. --Sir W. Scott.

2. To appear as if covered with bristles; to have standing, thick and erect, like bristles.

The hill of La Haye Sainte bristling with ten thousand bayonets. --Thackeray.

Ports bristling with thousands of masts. --Macaulay.

3. To show defiance or indignation.

To bristle up, to show anger or defiance.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)