Hatch"el [OE. hechele, hekele; akin to D. hekel, G. hechel, Dan. hegle, Sw. hakla, 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.
© Webster 1913.
Hatch"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hatcheled or Hatchelled (); p. pr. & vb. n. Hatcheling or Hatchelling.] [OE. hechelen, hekelen; akin to D. hekelen, G. hecheln, Dan. hegle, Sw. hakla. 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.]
© Webster 1913.