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
 

bristled adj : having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.; "a horse with a short bristly mane"; "bristly shrubs"; "burred fruits"; "setaceous whiskers" [syn: barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristly, burred, burry, prickly, setose, setaceous, spiny, thorny]

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

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)