hackle

/'hækl/

Thân thiện

A male pheasant displays its iridescent hackles during a courtship ritual.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A long, slender feather on the neck of certain birds: A "hackle" is one of the long, narrow, often iridescent feathers found on the neck or back of birds like roosters, turkeys, and pheasants.
   • A fishing fly made with such feathers: In fly fishing, a "hackle" is an artificial fly that uses these feathers to imitate an insect.
   • A comb for dressing flax or hemp: A "hackle" is a tool with metal teeth used to comb and straighten the fibers of flax or hemp in preparation for spinning.

2. Verb:

   • To comb with a hackle: To "hackle" means to comb out and separate the fibers of flax or hemp using a hackle tool.
   • To make a fishing fly using hackle feathers: To "hackle" can also mean to tie or attach hackle feathers onto a fishing hook to create an artificial fly.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The rooster's bright red hackles stood up when it saw the rival.
  • He tied a new hackle to use for trout fishing.
  • The old hackle, used for preparing flax, was rusty but still functional.

• Verb:

  • She learned to hackle the flax to remove the short fibers.
  • The angler carefully hackled the fly with a pheasant feather.

Advanced Usage

• "To get someone's hackles up" / "To raise someone's hackles": To make someone very angry or defensive. This idiom comes from the way a dog's or rooster's neck hairs (hackles) rise when it is aggressive or frightened.

  • His arrogant tone immediately got my hackles up.
  • The new policy raised the hackles of the entire staff.

• "With one's hackles up": In a state of anger, irritation, or readiness for a fight.

  • She walked into the meeting with her hackles up, expecting an argument.

Variants and Related Words

• Heckle (verb): To comb with a hackle. (Note: This is a direct variant in the context of fiber preparation.)
• Hackles (plural noun): Commonly used to refer collectively to the neck feathers or hairs, and figuratively to one's temper or anger.

Synonyms

• Noun (feather): Neck feather, plume, filoplume.
• Verb (comb): Dress, comb, card, tease (fibers).

Related Phrases

• "Make hackle": A phrase used in fly-tying to describe the process of preparing and attaching the feather.
  • The next step is to make hackle around the body of the fly.

Học thuật

Noun

1. long slender feather on the necks of e.g. turkeys and pheasants

Verb

1. comb with a heckle
   • heckle hemp or flax

Từ đồng nghĩa

• heckle
• hatchel