Hypertext Webster Gateway: "hackle"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Hackle \Hac"kle\, n. [See {Heckle}, and cf. {Hatchel}.]
1. A comb for dressing flax, raw silk, etc.; a hatchel.
2. Any flimsy substance unspun, as raw silk.
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.
4. An artificial fly for angling, made of feathers.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Hackle \Hac"kle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hackled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Hackling}.]
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.
2. To tear asunder; to break in pieces.
The other divisions of the kingdom being hackled and
torn to pieces. --Burke.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Hatchel \Hatch"el\ (?; 277), n. [OE. hechele, hekele; akin to D.
hekel, G. hechel, Dan. hegle, Sw. h["a]kla, 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}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
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}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.