- (v.t.) To fix a bristle to; as, to bristle a thread.
- (v.t.) To erect the bristles of; to cause to stand up, as the bristles of an angry hog; -- sometimes with up.
- (v.i.) To show defiance or indignation.
- (v.i.) To rise or stand erect, like bristles.
- (n.) A stiff, sharp, roundish hair.
- (v.i.) To appear as if covered with bristles; to have standing, thick and erect, like bristles.
- (n.) A short, stiff, coarse hair, as on the back of swine.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). bristle. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/bristle/definitions/1982557 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "bristle" http://smartdefine.org/bristle/definitions/1982557 (accessed September 25, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, bristle, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/bristle/definitions/1982557>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "bristle" 27 May 2011. Web. 25 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/bristle/definitions/1982557> |