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.
Now for the bare-picked bone of majesty
Doth dogged war bristle his angry crest. --Shak.
Boy, bristle thy courage up. --Shak.
2. To fix a bristle to; as, to bristle a thread.
bristled
adj : having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines
or thorns or setae etc.; "a horse with a short bristly
mane"; "bristly shrubs"; "burred fruits"; "setaceous
whiskers" [syn: barbed, barbellate, briary, briery,
bristly, burred, burry, prickly, setose, setaceous,
spiny, thorny]