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

hackle \hac"kle\ ha^k"k'l, n. see heckle, and cf.
   hatchel.
   1913 webster
   1. a comb for dressing flax, raw silk, etc.; a hatchel.
      1913 webster

   2. any flimsy substance unspun, as raw silk.
      1913 webster

   3. one of the peculiar, long, narrow feathers on the neck of
      fowls, most noticeable on the cock, -- often used in
      making artificial flies; hence, any feather so used.
      1913 webster

   4. an artificial fly for angling, made of feathers.
      1913 webster
see also:
heckle hatchel 

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

hackle \hac"kle\, v. t. imp.  p. p. hackled ha^k"k'ld;
   p. pr.  vb. n. hackling ha^k"kli^ng.
   1. to separate, as the coarse part of flax or hemp from the
      fine, by drawing it through the teeth of a hackle or
      hatchel.
      1913 webster

   2. to tear asunder; to break in pieces.
      1913 webster

            the other divisions of the kingdom being hackled and
            torn to pieces.                       --burke.
      1913 webster
see also:
hackled hackling 

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

hatchel \hatch"el\ -e^l; 277, n. oe. hechele, hekele; akin
   to d. hekel, g. hechel, dan. hegle, sw. haumkla, and prob.
   to e. hook. see hook, and cf. hackle, heckle.
   an instrument with long iron teeth set in a board, for
   cleansing flax or hemp from the tow, hards, or coarse part; a
   kind of large comb; -- called also hackle and heckle.
   1913 webster
see also:
hook hackle heckle hackle heckle 

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

hackle
     n : long slender feather on the necks of e.g. turkeys and
         pheasants
     v : comb with a heckle; "heckle hemp or flax" syn: heckle, hatchel
see also:
heckle hatchel 

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

24 moby thesaurus words for "hackle":
   card, comb, covert, crest, curry, feather, feathers, hack, haggle,
   hatchel, heckle, mail, panache, pinion, plumage, plume, plumule,
   quill, rake, scapular, slash, speculum, topknot, tuft

Hackle >> H Words
Hackle, definition of term: Hackle
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