Definition of bristle
: a short stiff coarse hair or filament hog bristles short bristle paint brushes
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Examples of bristle in a Sentence
a face covered with bristles
the bristles of a brush
Recent Examples of bristle from the Web
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The Amika brush uses ceramic bristles to get in your curls' nitty-gritty and smoothes them out in record time.
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The animals' plump toes are covered in hundreds of microscopic bristles that generate a kind of electric force strong enough to keep the lizards stuck onto surfaces.
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The brush is similar to the one that comes with Dior Show, with bristles so delicate and plentiful that your lashes almost look individually painted on.
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The brush, which is made with anti-microbial and nonporous bristles, does not soak up product and can be cleaned between uses with soap and water.
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And genetic sequencing revealed that the bristle worm has its own versions of essential molecular clock genes found in terrestrial insects and vertebrates.
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On one side of the dual-ended wand is a full set of short, dense bristles designed to lengthen and thicken.
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For example, Shark's DuoClean (starting at $155 for the Rocket version, www.sharkclean.com) has a soft brush roller and a bristle brush for wood and carpet.
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Jeffree told Seventeen.com at the time that what the girl found wasn't actually a hair, but a bristle from a brush used to dust off the compacts.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bristle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of bristle
Middle English bristil, from brust bristle, from Old English byrst; akin to Old High German burst bristle, and perhaps to Latin fastigium top
Other Botany Terms
bristle
Definition of bristle
bristled
;bristling
play \ˈbris-liŋ, ˈbri-sə-\transitive verb
1 : to furnish with short stiff coarse hairs or filaments : to furnish with bristles
intransitive verb
1a : to rise and stand stiffly erect quills bristlingb : to raise the bristles (as in anger) a snarling, bristling dog
2 : to take on an aggressively defensive attitude (as in response to a slight or criticism) he bristled at the accusations of corruption
3a : to be full of or covered with especially something suggestive of bristles roofs bristled with chimneysb : to be full of something specified book bristles with detail and irony — W. J. Broad
Examples of bristle in a Sentence
Electricity makes your hair bristle.
a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities
Recent Examples of bristle from the Web
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School administrators have also bristled over the mandate.
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Muhammad said of Abraham, bristling at his memory of her allegedly saying that 85 percent of the city’s crime is committed by blacks.
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Some in the established horse community have bristled at Bellissimo’s approach.
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Miami-Dade officials, as well as representatives of Triple Five, the mega-mall developer, bristled at the suggestion that Broward had been slighted.
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Regan bristled as his team struggled; his genial nature masked an intense competitive streak.
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The component agencies, especially NASA, tended to bristle at the council's oversight, according to a history compiled by George Washington University space policy expert John Logsdon.
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My family has lived in our suburban home for seven years, and from the minute a few neighbors whispered that the former tenant died in our house, I’ve been bristled up like a porcupine.
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But after the U.S. Supreme Court made the Medicaid expansion optional for states, Texas lawmakers bristled at having anything to do with Obamacare or expanding government health coverage.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bristle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of bristle
verbal derivative of 1bristle
BRISTLE Defined for English Language Learners
bristle
playDefinition of bristle for English Language Learners
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: a short, stiff hair, fiber, etc.
bristle
Definition of bristle for English Language Learners
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of hair : to rise up and become stiff
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: to show signs of anger : to become angry
BRISTLE Defined for Kids
Definition of bristle for Students
1 : a short stiff hair a hog's bristle
2 : a stiff hair or something like a hair fastened in a brush
Definition of bristle for Students
bristled
;bristling
1 : to rise up and stiffen like bristles Her evil laugh makes your hair bristle.
2 : to show signs of anger The judge bristled at the reminder of her stupidity. — Ellen Raskin, The Westing Game
3 : to be covered with The bush bristled with thorns.
Medical Dictionary
bristle
playMedical Definition of bristle
: a short stiff coarse hair or filament
Learn More about bristle
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See words that rhyme with bristle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bristle Spanish Central: Translation of bristle Nglish: Translation of bristle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bristle for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bristle
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