From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Hatchel \Hatch"el\ (-[e^]l; 277), noun [OE. hechele, hekele; akin to D. hekel, G. hechel, Dan. hegle, Sw. h["a]kla, and prob. to E. hook. See {Hook}, and cf. {Hackle}, {Heckle}.] An instrument with long iron teeth set in a board, for cleansing flax or hemp from the tow, hards, or coarse part; a kind of large comb; -- called also {hackle} and {heckle}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Heckle \Hec"kle\, noun & verb (used with an object) Same as {Hackle}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Heckle \Hec"kle\, verb (used with an object)
1. To interrogate, or ply with questions, esp. with severity or antagonism, as a candidate for the ministry.
Robert bore heckling, however, with great patience and adroitness. --Mrs. Humphry Ward. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
2. To shout questions or jibes at (a public speaker), so as to disconcert him or render his talk ineffective. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a comb for separating flax fibers [syn: {hatchel}]
verb
1: comb with a heckle; "heckle hemp or flax" [syn: {hackle}, {hatchel}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
70 Moby Thesaurus words for "heckle": aggravate, annoy, badger, bait, barrack, be at, bedevil, beset, bother, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up, card, chivy, comb, curry, devil, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, distemper, disturb, dog, embarrass, exasperate, exercise, fash, faze, get, gripe, hackle, harass, harry, hassle, hatchel, hector, hound, irk, irritate, jeer, miff, molest, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, peeve, persecute, pester, pick on, pique, plague, pluck the beard, pother, provoke, rake, rattle, ride, rile, roil, ruffle, taunt, tease, torment, try the patience, tweak the nose, vex, worry
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