/ˈbrɪs.əl/
bristle 作名词时指"刷毛、鬃毛、短而硬的毛发";作动词时指"竖起毛发",引申为"被激怒、恼怒"或"密布、充满"。
The
bristles on the old toothbrush were bent and worn out.
那把旧牙刷上的刷毛已经弯曲磨损了。
She bristled at the suggestion that her work was not good enough, and immediately defended her efforts.
她对别人暗示她工作不够好感到恼怒,立刻为自己的努力辩护。
bristle 源自古英语 byrst,意为"刚毛、鬃毛",与古高地德语 burst(刷子)同源,可追溯至原始日耳曼语 burstiz。中古英语时期演变为 brustle,最终形成现代英语中的 bristle。该词最初仅指动物身上粗硬的毛,后来引申出"因愤怒而竖毛"的动词含义,再进一步比喻为人的恼怒反应。