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heckle. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
heckle, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
heckle in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
heckle you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
Transferred usage of Middle English hekelen (“to comb flax or hemp with a heckle”), from hekele (“a comb for flax or hemp”), from Middle Dutch hekelen (“to prickle, irritate”), from Proto-Germanic *hakilōną, related to *hakô (“hook”). Related to hackle.
Pronunciation
Verb
heckle (third-person singular simple present heckles, present participle heckling, simple past and past participle heckled)
- (transitive) To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses.
- (transitive) To insult, tease, make fun of or badger, especially during a comedy performance.
Promise that you won't heckle me after my performance.
- (textiles) To prepare flax for spinning using special combs called hackles
Synonyms
(prepare flax for spinning): hackle
Related terms
Translations
question harshly in an attempt to reveal weaknesses
insult, tease, make fun of, badger
- Danish: håne, fornærme
- Dutch: hekelen (nl)
- Finnish: haukkua (fi), häiritä (fi)
- German: beleidigen (de), beschimpfen (de), verspotten (de), spötteln (de), verhöhnen (de), belästigen (de), bedrängen (de), plagen (de), quälen (de), heimsuchen (de), necken (de), stören (de)
- Latin: convīcior
- Swedish: häckla (sv), pika (sv), håna (sv), skymfa (sv), förolämpa (sv)
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Translations to be checked
Noun
heckle (plural heckles)
- Alternative form of hackle (“tool for separating flax”)
- The long shining feathers on a cock's neck.
- A feather ornament in the full-dress bonnets of Highland regiments.
- An interruption during a show, especially a comedy performance
The stand-up dealt well with the heckles from the crowd, replying with raucous banter to raise plenty of laughs.
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