| n. | 1. | A comb for dressing flax, raw silk, etc.; a hatchel. |
| 2. | Any flimsy substance unspun, as raw silk. | |
| 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. | |
| 4. | An artificial fly for angling, made of feathers. | |
| v. t. | 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. |
| 2. | To tear asunder; to break in pieces. |
| Noun | 1. | hackle - long slender feather on the necks of e.g. turkeys and pheasants |
| Verb | 1. | hackle - comb with a heckle; "heckle hemp or flax" |