Pronounced: ker-uh-VAN(T)-suh-ree, noun
Notes: A new word to me
Yesterday’s word
The word hackle, as a verb, means “to comb flax, hemp, or other fibers with a hackle”. As a noun, it means:
- hairs or feathers on the neck or back of some animals that stand up when the animal is agitated
- temper; anger
- a comb for dressing fiber
First usage
Our word came into English around 900
Background / Comments
I knew the first two noun definitions, but the third definition (and the related verb definition) was new to me. The origin is a little uncertain: It may be a variant of heckle, which came from the Middle English hechelen (to comb flax) or it may come from the Old English hacele (coat; cloak).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 