WordWeb Online

1. Having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.
   - barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristly, burred, burry, prickly, setose, setaceous, spiny, thorny

1. Be in a state of movement or action
   "The garden bristled with toddlers"
   - abound, burst
    
2. Rise up as in fear
   "The dog's fur bristled"
   - uprise, stand up
    
3. Have or be thickly covered with or as if with bristles
   "bristling leaves"
    
4. React in an offended or angry manner
   "He bristled at her suggestion that he should teach her how to use the program"

See also: armed

Type of: feature, have, react, respond

Encyclopedia: Bristle