The Collaborative International Dictionary
Hatchel \Hatch"el\ (-[e^]l; 277), n. [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.
Hatchel \Hatch"el\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hatcheled or Hatchelled (-[e^]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Hatcheling or Hatchelling.] [OE. hechelen, hekelen; akin to D. hekelen, G. hecheln, Dan. hegle, Sw. h["a]kla. See Hatchel, n.]
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.
To tease; to worry; to torment. [Colloq.]
Wiktionary
alt. A comb used to separate flax fibers. n. A comb used to separate flax fibers. vb. (context transitive English) To separate (flax fibers) with a hatchel, or comb.
WordNet
n. a comb for separating flax fibers [syn: heckle]
v. comb with a heckle; "heckle hemp or flax" [syn: heckle, hackle]
[also: hatchelling, hatchelled]
Usage examples of "hatchel".
Lord, Miss Hatchel been so good to me dat I stay on dere wid her 8 years after freedom come.
My mammy, she went in de name of Hatchel en all her chillun went in de name of Hatchel right down dere in de Effingham section.
Got a note en go on a Sunday evenin en come back to Miss Hatchel on Monday.
I remembers Miss Hatchel caught en shook me one time en when I tell her husband, he tell her to keep his hands off his little Nigger.
Miss Hatchel horn bout here now dat been through nearly 100 head of people.