different between heckle vs hockle

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 *hakil?n?. Related to hackle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?h?k?l/
• Rhymes: -?k?l

Verb

heckle (third-person singular simple present heckles, present participle heckling, simple past and past participle heckled)

1. (transitive) To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses. [from later 18th c.]
2. (transitive) To insult, tease, make fun of or badger.

   Promise that you won't heckle me after my performance.

3. (textiles) To prepare flax for spinning using special combs called hackles

Synonyms

(prepare flax for spinning): hackle

Related terms

• heckler
• heckling

Translations

Noun

heckle (plural heckles)

1. Alternative form of hackle (“tool for separating flax”)
2. The long shining feathers on a cock's neck.
3. A feather ornament in the full-dress bonnets of Highland regiments.

Anagrams

• Heckel

English

Etymology 1

Probably from hackle, a brush once used for fraying flax, and related to heckle (“to tease”).

Noun

hockle (plural hockles)

1. A knob in cordage caused by twisting against the lay.

Verb

hockle (third-person singular simple present hockles, present participle hockling, simple past and past participle hockled)

1. To damage cordage by twisting against the lay.

Etymology 2

From imperfect and past participle hockled; from present participle and verbal noun hockling. From hock.

Verb

hockle (third-person singular simple present hockles, present participle hockling, simple past and past participle hockled)

1. (transitive) to disable by cutting the tendons of the ham.

   Synonyms: hamstring, hock, hough

2. (transitive) To mow, as stubble.

Etymology 3

Probably onomatopoeic.

Noun

hockle (uncountable)

1. (Tyneside, vulgar) spit, spittle

Verb

hockle (third-person singular simple present hockles, present participle hocklin, simple past and past participle hockled)

1. (Tyneside) To spit.

References

• hockle in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• Webster, Noah (1828) , “hockle”, in An American Dictionary of the English Language