heckle

heckle
verb
1》 interrupt (a public speaker) with derisive comments or abuse.
2》 dress (flax or hemp) to split and straighten the fibres for spinning.
noun a heckling comment.
Derivatives
heckler noun
Word History
In medieval times a heckle, or hackle, was a comb used to split and straighten the fibres of flax; to heckle, therefore, was to dress flax. From this developed the figurative sense 'to question someone closely in order to reveal their weak points' and then 'to scold', from which the modern sense developed. A similar development is seen in the modern sense of tease, which originally meant 'to comb wool'.

English new terms dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Heckle — Hec kle, n. & v. t. Same as {Hackle}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • heckle — index annoy, badger, bait (harass), discompose, harass, harry (harass), hector …   Law dictionary

  • heckle — vb *bait, badger, hector, chivy, hound, ride Analogous words: plague, pester, harass, harry, *worry, annoy: disconcert, rattle, faze, discomfit, *embarrass: rack, torment (see AFFLICT) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • heckle — [v] jeer badger, bait, bother, bully, chivy, dis*, discomfit, disconcert, disrupt, disturb, embarrass, faze, gibe, hound*, interrupt, pester, plague, rattle, ride*, ridicule, shout at, taunt, tease, torment, worry; concepts 44,47 Ant. encourage,… …   New thesaurus

  • heckle — ► VERB ▪ interrupt (a public speaker) with derisive comments or abuse. ► NOUN ▪ an instance of heckling. DERIVATIVES heckler noun. ORIGIN originally in the sense «dress (flax or hemp) with a comb to split and straighten the fibres»: from a… …   English terms dictionary

  • heckle — [hek′əl] vt. heckled, heckling [ME hekelin < hechele: see HACKLE1] 1. HACKLE1 2. [orig. Scot] to annoy or harass (a speaker) by interrupting with questions or taunts n. HACKLE …   English World dictionary

  • heckle — {{11}}heckle (n.) flax comb, c.1300, hechel, perhaps from an unrecorded O.E. *hecel or a cognate Germanic word (Cf. M.H.G. hechel, M.Du. hekel), from P.Gmc. *hakila , from PIE *keg hook, tooth (see HOOK (Cf. hook)). {{12}}heckle (v.) early 14c.,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • heckle — [[t]he̱k(ə)l[/t]] heckles, heckling, heckled VERB If people in an audience heckle public speakers or performers, they interrupt them, for example by making rude remarks. [V n] They heckled him and interrupted his address with angry questions...… …   English dictionary

  • heckle —  1) to heckle tow, to dress it. N.  2) to heckle, is to look angry ; as a cock raises his heckle when enraged. Derb …   A glossary of provincial and local words used in England

  • heckle — Hatchel Hatch el ( [e^]l; 277), n. [OE. hechele, hekele; akin to D. hekel, G. hechel, Dan. hegle, Sw. h[ a]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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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