Word
bristle
Phoneticsbris·tle
US/ˈbɹɪsəɫ/
UK/bɹˈɪsəl/
Definitions
01stiff hair
n. a short, stiff hair on an animal or a plant.
n. a stiff or coarse hair found on non-human mammals or certain plants.
“The wild pig had thick, black bristles covering its back.”
“The biologist noted that the specimen's bristles were remarkably rigid, serving as a primary sensory mechanism in dark environments.”
02brush hair
n. the stiff hairs on a brush, like a toothbrush or a hairbrush.
n. the filaments that constitute the head of a brush, broom, or similar tool, whether natural or synthetic.
“The bristles on my old toothbrush are starting to bend.”
“For oil painting, many artists prefer natural hog bristles because they hold a significant amount of heavy pigment.”
05Bristol (city)
n. a funny way of saying the name of the English city, Bristol.
n. A humorous or slang rendering of the city of Bristol, England, mimicking the local 'Bristol L' dialect feature.
“He's from Bristle, so he has a very strong local accent.”
“The comedian's routine relied heavily on his 'Bristle' persona, exaggerating the local phonology for comedic effect.”
British English · Humorous · Slang · Dialect
Teaching tip
This is a very specific Britishism; learners should recognize it as a joke about the local accent rather than a standard name.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Frazer can get riled himself, bristling at a description of the Apex as “this grey shithole”.” “She bristles at any easy reading of them as purely hedonistic and fun.” “You can really hear the bristling, soft rage as Bridgers sings: “Sometimes I want you back / But not today,” on Still Standing, an unflinching portrait of her “complicated” relationship with her dad.” Etymology
From Middle English bristil, bristel, brustel, from Old English bristl, byrst, brystl, byrstel, from Proto-West Germanic burstilu, diminutive of Proto-West Germanic bursti, from Proto-Germanic burstiz (compare Dutch borstel, German Borste (“boar's bristle”), Icelandic burst), from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥stís (compare Middle Irish brostaid (“to goad, spur”), Latin fastīgium (“top”), Polish barszcz (“hogweed”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.