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The Word of the Day for December 27 is:

hackle   \HAK-ul\   (noun)
     1 : one of the long feathers on the neck or back of a bird
     2 plural : hairs (as on a dog's neck) that can be erected
    *3 plural : temper, dander

Example sentence:
     Paul's letter to the editor, which referred to "the sorry
state of our public schools," raised some hackles among local
teachers.

Did you know?
     In its earliest uses in the 15th century, "hackle" denoted
either a bird's neck plumage or an instrument used to comb out
long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. Apparently, some folks saw a
resemblance between the neck feathers of domestic birds --
which, on a male, become erect when the bird is defensive -- and
the prongs of the comb-like tool. In the 19th century, English
speakers extended the word's use to both dogs and people. Like
the bird's feathers, the erectile hairs on the back of a dog's
neck stand up when the animal is agitated. With humans, use of
the word "hackles" is usually figurative. When you raise
someone's hackles, you make them angry or put them on the
defensive.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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