Hatchel

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hatchel \Hatch"el\ (-[e^]l; 277), n. [OE. hechele, hekele; akin
     to D. hekel, G. hechel, Dan. hegle, Sw. h[aum]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}.


     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hatchel \Hatch"el\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hatcheled} or
     {Hatchelled} (-[e^]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Hatcheling} or
     {Hatchelling}.] [OE. hechelen, hekelen; akin to D. hekelen,
     G. hecheln, Dan. hegle, Sw. h[aum]kla. See {Hatchel}, n.]
     1. To draw through the teeth of a hatchel, as flax or hemp,
        so as to separate the coarse and refuse parts from the
        fine, fibrous parts.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To tease; to worry; to torment. [Colloq.]
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hatchel
       n : a comb for separating flax fibers [syn: {heckle}]
       v : comb with a heckle; "heckle hemp or flax" [syn: {heckle}, {hackle}]
       [also: {hatchelling}, {hatchelled}]