The Collaborative International Dictionary
Hatchelling
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
hatchelling
vb. (present participle of hatchel English)
WordNet
hatchelling
See hatchel
hatchel
n. a comb for separating flax fibers [syn: heckle]
v. comb with a heckle; "heckle hemp or flax" [syn: heckle, hackle]
[also: hatchelling, hatchelled]