Bristling
/ˈbrɪs.lɪŋ/noun
Standing up sharply or appearing tense, angry, or full of stiff projections.
Did you know?Bristle comes from Old English *byrst*, “a bristle, hair, or spine,” from a Germanic root that also gave English words for rough, prickly textures, making the modern feeling of “bristling with anger” a very old body-language metaphor.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“to cut, pierce, or split; a possible deep source behind rough, projecting forms”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*burstiz
“a bristle, stiff hair, or spine”
Old English
English
byrst
“a bristle or stiff hair”
Middle English
English
bristlen
“to stand up like bristles; to become rough or stiff”
Present Participle
English
bristling
“standing up stiffly; seeming tense, sharp, or hostile”