Bristle
Pronunciation: /ˈbrɪsəl/
Bristle (noun)
- a short, stiff hair or fiber, often found on animals or brushes.
Examples
- The brush has firm bristles for cleaning.
- The animal's bristles were rough to touch.
Common collocations: stiff bristles, brush bristles, bristle with anger, bristle at criticism, bristle with tension
Bristle (verb)
- to react angrily or defensively, often by standing up straight.
- to stand up straight, especially when feeling angry or scared.
Examples
- He bristled at the unfair accusation.
- She bristled when criticized by her boss.