[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

bristle \bris"tle\, v. t. imp.  p. p. bristled; p. pr.  vb.
   n. bristling.
   1. to erect the bristles of; to cause to stand up, as the
      bristles of an angry hog; -- sometimes with up.
      1913 webster

            now for the bare-picked bone of majesty
            doth dogged war bristle his angry crest. --shak.
      1913 webster

            boy, bristle thy courage up.          --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. to fix a bristle to; as, to bristle a thread.
      1913 webster
see also:
bristled bristling 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

bristle \bris"tle\, v. i.
   1. to rise or stand erect, like bristles.
      1913 webster

            his hair did bristle upon his head.   --sir w.
                                                  scott.
      1913 webster

   2. to appear as if covered with bristles; to have standing,
      thick and erect, like bristles.
      1913 webster

            the hill of la haye sainte bristling with ten
            thousand bayonets.                    --thackeray.
      1913 webster

            ports bristling with thousands of masts. --macaulay.
      1913 webster

   3. to show defiance or indignation.
      1913 webster

   to bristle up, to show anger or defiance.
      1913 webster
see also:
to bristle up 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

bristle \bris"tle\ bri^s"s'l, n. oe. bristel, brustel, as.
   bristl, byrst; akin to d. borstel, ohg. burst, g. borste,
   icel. burst, sw. borst, and to skr. bh.rshti edge, point,
   and prob, l. fastigium extremity, gr. 'a`flaston stern of a
   ship, and e. brush, burr, perh. to brad. root96.
   1. a short, stiff, coarse hair, as on the back of swine.
      1913 webster

   2. bot. a stiff, sharp, roundish hair. --gray.
      1913 webster

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

bristle
     n 1: a stiff fiber coarse hair or filament; natural or
          synthetic
     2: a stiff hair
     v 1: be in a state of movement or action; "the room abounded with
          screaming children"; "the garden bristled with toddlers"
          syn: abound, burst
     2: rise up as in fear; "the dog's fur bristled"; "it was a
        sight to make one's hair uprise" syn: uprise, stand
        up
see also:
abound burst uprise stand up 

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

172 moby thesaurus words for "bristle":
   vandyke, acuminate, aggravate, anger, annoy, arise, arouse, badger,
   bait, barb, barbel, be alive, be at, be keen, beard, beaver,
   bedevil, beset, bite, blow up, boil, boil over, bother, bramble,
   bridle, bridle up, brier, bristle up, bristle with, bristles,
   brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn, burn up, burr, cactus, capillament,
   catchweed, chafe, chivy, cilium, cleavers, coat, cock up,
   corrugate, crawl, crinkle, crumple, cut, devil, discompose,
   distemper, disturb, dog, down, embitter, exasperate, exercise,
   fash, flare up, fleece, flip out, fret, fume, fur, get, get mad,
   get sore, get up, goatee, goose grass, gripe, hair, harass, harry,
   have an edge, heckle, hector, horripilate, horsehair, hound, huff,
   imperial, incense, inflame, irk, irritate, jump up, mane, miff,
   molest, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, peach fuzz, peeve, pelt,
   persecute, pester, pick on, pile, pine needle, pique, plague,
   pluck the beard, pother, prick, prickle, provoke, pubescence,
   pubic hair, quill, rage, ramp, rankle, reach boiling point, rear,
   rear up, ride, rile, rise, rise up, roil, ruffle, rumple, see red,
   seethe, set on edge, set up, seta, setula, setule, shag,
   side whiskers, sit bolt upright, sit up, spicule, spiculum, spike,
   spikelet, spine, stand up, stick, stick up, sticker, sting,
   stir the blood, stir up, striga, stubble, swarm, tease, teem,
   thistle, thorn, torment, try the patience, tuft, tweak the nose,
   upheave, uprear, uprise, vex, whisker, whiskers, wool, work up,
   worry, wrinkle, yucca

Bristle >> B Words
Bristle, definition of term: Bristle
bristle_pag1.html