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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Bare Floor Brush This wide narrow tool has short, stiff bristles for removing fine dust and grit from hardwoods and tile.
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Save the boar bristle brushes for smoothing back ponytails.
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The serum brush, on the other hand, is a thin, flat-bristle brush.
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First remove dirt with a nylon medium-bristle brush and a capful of Woolite diluted in a bowl of warm water, says Fabrizio.
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Use damp paper towels to wipe greasy dust from the casing and a soft-bristle brush dampened with a mild cleanser, like Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap ($2, amazon.com) to loosen the dust on the blades, then rinse with a damp paper towel.
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British Vogue reports that the bristles, separated by millimeters, have a uniquely granular texture that helps with adherence, while micro-cavities at the core of the wand help prevent wasting product.
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Before using last year's grill brush, check for loose bristles, then wipe the grates down thoroughly after using the brush.
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The stiff bristles are also great for scrubbing vegetables like carrots and radishes.
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
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 14th century
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearOther Botany Terms
Definition of bristle
bristled;
bristling
play
\ˈbris-liŋ, ˈbri-sə-\
1
: to furnish with short stiff coarse hairs or filaments : to furnish with bristles
1 a
: to rise and stand stiffly erect
- quills bristling
b
: 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
3 a
: to be full of or covered with especially something suggestive of bristles
- roofs bristled with chimneys
b
: 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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And that’s why a lot of people bristle with the idea that there are norms and people are censoring you to achieve those norms.
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By contrast, Trump’s supporters in agricultural areas are already bristling at his protectionism.
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China, which bristles at anything that even hints at diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, had warned America not to send a senior official.
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The grotesques are a delightful feature in a building that’s bristling with them.
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In See What Can Be Done, Moore frequently bristles at the arguments of biographers and readers who plunder a writer’s work for clues about their life, and vice versa.
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Not surprisingly, Pyongyang bristles at the mention of Libya.
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And for its dramatic setting in the narrow canyon, the walls bristling with pine trees.
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This thing was bristling with cameras and sensors and driver’s aids.
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
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 15th century
in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
See Words from the same yearbristle Synonyms
Near Antonyms
allay, appease, pacify, soothe;
check, choke (back), collect, compose, contain, curb, pocket, rein, repress, restrain, smother, stifle, strangle, subdue, suppress, swallow;
Related Words
blow up, flare (up), flip (out) [slang];
bluster, carry on, fulminate, rampage, rant, rave, take on;
Phrases
make a scene, run amok (or run amuck);
BRISTLE Defined for English Language Learners
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
medical 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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