Webster's 1828 Dictionary
HATCHEL
n.An instrument formed with long iron teeth set in a board, for cleaning flax or hemp from the tow, hards or coarse part. The hatchel is a large species of comb.
HATCHEL
v.t.To draw flax or hemp through the teeth of a hatchel, for separating the coarse part and broken pieces of the stalk from the fine fibrous parts. 1. To tease or vex, by sarcasms or reproaches; a vulgar use of the word.
HATCHELED
pp. Cleansed by a hatchel; combed.
HATCHELER
n.One who uses a hatchel.
HATCHELING
ppr. Drawing through the teeth of a hatchel.
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
HATCHEL
Hatch "el, n. Etym: [OE. hechele, hekele; akin to D. hekel, G. hechel, Dan. hegle, Sw. häkla, and prob. to E. hook. See Hook, and cf. Hackle, Heckle. ]
Defn: 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.
HATCHEL
Hatch "el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hatcheled or Hatchelled (; p. pr. & vb. n. Hatcheling or Hatchelling.] Etym: [OE. hechelen, hekelen; akin to D. hekelen, G. hecheln, Dan. hegle, Sw. häkla. See Hatchel, n.]
1. To draw through the teeth of a hatchel, as flax or hemp, so as to separate the coarse and refuse parts from the fine, fibrous parts.
2. To tease; to worry; to torment. [Colloq. ]
HATCHELER
HATCHELER Hatch "el *er, n.
Defn: One who uses a hatchel.
New American Oxford Dictionary
hatchel
hatch el |ˈhaCHəl ˈhætʃəl | ▶noun another term for hackle ( sense 3 of the noun ). ▶verb another term for hackle. ORIGIN Middle English hechele, related to hook .
Oxford Dictionary
hatchel
hatchel |ˈhatʃ (ə )l | ▶noun another term for hackle ( sense 3 of the noun ). ▶verb another term for hackle. ORIGIN Middle English hechele, of West Germanic origin, related to hook .
The Wordsmith Dictionary