Heckle

5 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]:

  Heckle \Hec"kle\, n. & v. t.
     Same as {Hackle}.
     [1913 Webster]

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

  Heckle \Hec"kle\, v. t.
     1. To interrogate, or ply with questions, esp. with severity
        or antagonism, as a candidate for the ministry.
  
              Robert bore heckling, however, with great patience
              and adroitness.                       --Mrs. Humphry
                                                    Ward.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     2. To shout questions or jibes at (a public speaker), so as
        to disconcert him or render his talk ineffective.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  heckle
       n : a comb for separating flax fibers [syn: {hatchel}]
       v 1: comb with a heckle; "heckle hemp or flax" [syn: {hackle}, {hatchel}]
       2: challenge aggressively

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  70 Moby Thesaurus words for "heckle":
     aggravate, annoy, badger, bait, barrack, be at, bedevil, beset,
     bother, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up, card, chivy,
     comb, curry, devil, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, distemper,
     disturb, dog, embarrass, exasperate, exercise, fash, faze, get,
     gripe, hackle, harass, harry, hassle, hatchel, hector, hound, irk,
     irritate, jeer, miff, molest, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, peeve,
     persecute, pester, pick on, pique, plague, pluck the beard, pother,
     provoke, rake, rattle, ride, rile, roil, ruffle, taunt, tease,
     torment, try the patience, tweak the nose, vex, worry