hackles

/ˈhækəlz/
noun
  1. The hairs on the back of an animal's neck or back that stand up when it is angry or frightened.
    • The dog's hackles rose when a stranger approached the gate.
    • The wolf's hackles stood on end, warning the pack of danger.
    • You could see the cat's hackles bristle as the other cat entered the yard.
  2. A feeling of anger or irritation, often used in the phrase 'raise someone's hackles'.
    • The unfair treatment of the employees raised hackles across the company.
    • His rude comment really raised my hackles.
    • Any mention of the canceled project still raises her hackles.
Synonyms
What does "hackles" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean