'To bristle up' definitions:

Definition of 'To bristle up'

From: GCIDE
  • Bristle \Bris"tle\, v. i.
  • 1. To rise or stand erect, like bristles. [1913 Webster]
  • His hair did bristle upon his head. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To appear as if covered with bristles; to have standing, thick and erect, like bristles. [1913 Webster]
  • The hill of La Haye Sainte bristling with ten thousand bayonets. --Thackeray. [1913 Webster]
  • Ports bristling with thousands of masts. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To show defiance or indignation. [1913 Webster]
  • To bristle up, to show anger or defiance. [1913 Webster]