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hatch·el

(hăchəl)

A comb for separating flax fibers.

tr.v. hatch·eled, hatch·el·ing, hatch·els also hatch·elled or hatch·el·ling

To separate (flax fibers) with a hatchel.

[Middle English hechel, possibly from Old English *hecel; akin to Middle Dutch hekel; see HECKLE.]

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hatchel

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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