different between heckler vs heckle

English

Etymology

heckle +? -er

Pronunciation

Noun

heckler (plural hecklers)

1. One who heckles; somebody who insults, makes fun of, or teases.

2. (US, military, slang) An aircraft flying attack missions at night.
3. Alternative form of hackler (“worker who separates flax”)

Related terms

• heckler's veto

Translations

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