Standard Lemma guide

bristled

adj · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: B R IH1 S AH0 L D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having bristles

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

simple past and past participle of bristle

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a horse with a short bristly mane
  • bristly shrubs
  • burred fruits
  • setaceous whiskers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristly, burred, burry, prickly, setose, setaceous, spiny, thorny

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English bristled, ibrustled, iburstled, equivalent to bristle + -ed.