Hackle

hackle
    n 1: long slender feather on the necks of e.g. turkeys and
         pheasants
    v 1: comb with a heckle; "heckle hemp or flax" [syn: {heckle},
         {hackle}, {hatchel}]
    

hackle \hac"kle\ (h[a^]k"k'l), n. [See {Heckle}, and cf.
   {Hatchel}.]
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   1. A comb for dressing flax, raw silk, etc.; a hatchel.
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   2. Any flimsy substance unspun, as raw silk.
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   3. One of the peculiar, long, narrow feathers on the neck of
      fowls, most noticeable on the cock, -- often used in
      making artificial flies; hence, any feather so used.
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   4. An artificial fly for angling, made of feathers.
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Hackle \Hac"kle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hackled} (h[a^]k"k'ld);
   p. pr. & vb. n. {Hackling} (h[a^]k"kl[i^]ng).]
   1. To separate, as the coarse part of flax or hemp from the
      fine, by drawing it through the teeth of a hackle or
      hatchel.
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   2. To tear asunder; to break in pieces.
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            The other divisions of the kingdom being hackled and
            torn to pieces.                       --Burke.
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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}.
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24 Moby Thesaurus words for "hackle":
      card, comb, covert, crest, curry, feather, feathers, hack, haggle,
      hatchel, heckle, mail, panache, pinion, plumage, plume, plumule,
      quill, rake, scapular, slash, speculum, topknot, tuft