bristle
BRIS-uhl
/ˈbrɪs.əl/
Short, stiff hairs on an animal or brush; or to stand upright stiffly in reaction or anger.
Implies stiffness, coarse texture, and erect stance under emotional arousal or mechanical design.
The story behind the word. Traceable to Old English 'bryst' and Proto-Germanic 'bursti', referring to stiff hog hair. Historically, pig bristles were harvested to construct the very first hairbrushes and paintbrushes before synthetic nylon was invented.
Word relationships
- quill: Quills are hollow, sharp defensive spines on porcupines, unlike hair bristles.
- stubble: Stubble refers specifically to short hair growth after shaving human faces.
- down: Down refers to ultra-soft, fine feathers or hair.
Commonly confused with
- thistle: Thistle is a prickly wild plant, while bristle is a stiff hair or brush fiber.
Word family
- bristly (adjective): Covered with or resembling stiff hairs.
- bristling (adjective): Standing erect or showing irritation.
Collocations
- bristle brush
- boar bristle
- bristle with anger
- stiff bristle
Idioms & expressions
- bristle with anger
Example sentences
- "A natural bristle brush distributes sebum evenly along the length of a dog's coat." Grooming tools
- "The dog began to bristle and growl when an unfamiliar stranger approached the gate." Animal behavior
Memory hook
BRISTLE brushes are STIFF like BRICKS. Stiff hairs standing tall.
When not to use
Do not confuse with soft downy hair; bristles are always firm and prickle-like.
Fun facts
- Wild boar bristles were preferred by painters for centuries because their natural split ends hold liquid paint exceptionally well!
Related words
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.