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Glite Dictionary
😠 Showing irritation 🦔 Covered with bristles
abristle

abristle

9.9
Covered with short stiff hairs that stand up
  • adjective
  • /əˈbrɪsəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : erizado
  • After the haircut, his head was abristle with short, stiff hairs.

Examples

  • The old paintbrush was abristle with dried paint and rough fibers.

  • The hedgehog was abristle as it sensed danger nearby.

  • The cat was abristle.

  • Look at that dog, it's abristle!

  • The hedgehog was abristle as it sensed danger nearby.

  • After the haircut, his head was abristle with short, stiff hairs.

  • The old paintbrush was abristle with dried paint and rough fibers.

Synonyms

bristly
vsabristle
1 4.6

Covered with short, stiff hairs that feel rough

specifies upright hairs or fibers rather than merely short or spiny covering
bristled
vsabristle
4.5

Covered with many short stiff hairs or small sharp points

emphasizes upright hairs or fibers rather than any stiff covering
setaceous
vsabristle
  • Specialized
9.9

Having many short stiff hairs like those on a brush

is the general upright hair or fiber condition, not just technical term
bristlelike
vsabristle
7.7

Having short stiff hairs like a brush

means having upright hairs or fibers rather than just resembling them

Antonyms

smooth
256 1.0

A surface that is even and not rough

bare
217 2.2

Not covered or protected, showing the plain surface

How Bristly

spiky
16 3.3
prickly
14 3.3
abristle
  • Archaic
9.9
hairy
134 1.0
fuzzy
44 1.1

Surface Forms

abristle positive

Morphology

abristle = bristle (semi-transparent) = a + bristle

The link to 'bristle' is clear, but the adjectival a- pattern is uncommon in modern English and may not be fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

Abristle comes from the old prefix a- meaning 'on' or 'in' and the word bristle, which means a stiff hair or short, rough fiber. So abristle literally means 'covered with bristles', like a brush or an animal with hairs standing up.