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In its earliest uses in the 15th century, hackle denoted either a bird's neck plumage or an instrument used to comb out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. Apparently, some folks saw a resemblance between the neck feathers of domestic birds—which, on a male, become erect when the bird is defensive—and the prongs of the comb-like tool. In the 19th century, English speakers extended the word's use to both dogs and people. Like the bird's feathers, the erectile hairs on the back of a dog's neck stand up when the animal is agitated. With humans, use of the word hackles is usually figurative. When you raise someone's hackles, you make them angry or put them on the defensive.
Examples of hackle in a Sentence
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
Chen sees Tapestry pursuing potential acquisitions in outerwear, jewelry or beauty and wellness that would be less likely to raise the FTC’s hackles.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Mazzoli does this instinctively, making our hackles rise.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Most of them wander far beyond our perception, but a few come close enough to Earth to raise our hackles.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hackle 
Dictionary Entries Near hackle
Cite this Entry
“Hackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hackle. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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