Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bristle” come from?

Bristle comes from Middle English bristil, from Middle English brust, from Old English byrst, from Proto-Germanic brestuz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥stís or bʰr̥s-tí-s, ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root bʰers-.

bristle (English): A stiff or coarse hair; The hairs or other...

Definitions

  1. A stiff or coarse hair; The hairs or other...

Ancestry of “bristle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbristil—
2Old Englishbristl—

Words derived from “bristle”

  • bristling
  • bristlecone
  • bristlelike
  • abristle
  • bristlingly
  • bristlegrass
  • bristletail
  • bristlebird
  • bristlemouth
  • bristleless
  • bristler
  • bristles
  • bristlehead
  • bristlebill
  • bristlet
  • nanobristle
Every word from Old English bristl →