1. past tense of hackle; to comb or dress (flax, hemp, or similar fibers) with a hackle
Usage: technical; textile industry
2. past tense of hackle; to raise the hackles of; to anger or irritate
Usage: informal

Examples

• The workers hackled the flax fibers to prepare them for spinning.
• She hackled the hemp until it was smooth and ready for weaving.
• His rude comments hackled everyone at the meeting.
• The unfair criticism hackled the young artist.
• The poorly hackled fibers produced inferior thread.
• Their constant interruptions hackled the speaker.