Dictionary — ontologydriven

bristling en · ADJ

Having bristles.
Reacting with anger or indignation.
- Tottenham had hoped to make a statement of real intent against the title pace-setters and while manager Harry Redknapp did not secure the victory he craved, he at least saw his side match United every stride of the way in a game that fizzled out after a bristling start. 2011 January 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 0 - 0 Man Utd”, in BBC:
(UK, dated) Dressed in effective defensive equipment while not seeking a fight.

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
more bristling	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic
most bristling	Degree=Sup		lexicographic

ga colgach (reacting with anger or indignation) · pl najeżenie się (reacting with anger or indignation)

The act of one who bristles.
- When dogs fight, there are usually preliminaries to the actual combat — snarlings and bristlings and stiff-legged struttings. But White Fang learned to omit these preliminaries. 1906 May–October, Jack London, White Fang, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., published October 1906, →OCLC, part 3 (The Gods of the Wild), pages 144–145:
(alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of brisling.
alt of brisling

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
bristlings	Number=Plur		lexicographic

es piloerección (the act of one who bristles) · es erizamiento (the act of one who bristles) · pl najeżenie się (the act of one who bristles)

(form-of, gerund, participle, present) present participle and gerund of bristle
form of bristle