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.

Noun

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

Verb

1. comb with a heckle
   • heckle hemp or flax