# Bristle

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{{Short description|Stiff hair or feather}}
[[Image:Brushbristles.jpg|thumb|right|270px|The bristles of a sweeping [brush](/source/brush)]]
A '''bristle''' is a stiff [hair](/source/hair) or [feather](/source/feather) (natural or artificial), either on an animal, such as a pig, a plant, or on a tool such as a [brush](/source/brush) or [broom](/source/broom).

==Synthetic types==
thumb|Closeup of bristles on an oil paintbrush
Synthetic materials such as [nylon](/source/nylon) are also used to make bristles in items such as brooms and sweepers. Bristles are often used to make [brushes](/source/brushes) for cleaning purposes, as they are strongly abrasive; common examples include the [toothbrush](/source/toothbrush) and [toilet brush](/source/toilet_brush). The bristle brush and the scrub brush are common household cleaning tools, often used to remove dirt or grease from pots and pans. Bristles are also used on brushes other than for cleaning, notably paintbrushes.

Bristles are distinguished as ''flagged'' (split, bushy ends) or ''unflagged;'' these are also known as ''flocked'' or ''unflocked'' bristles.<ref>''Cleaning Spot Catalogue'' 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=4PWZOIojvZEC&pg=PA25&dq=flagged+bristles p. 25]</ref> In cleaning applications, flagged bristles are suited for dry cleaning (due to picking up dust better than unflagged), and unflagged suited for wet cleaning (due to flagged ends becoming dirty and matted when wet).<ref>[http://blog.nelsonjameson.com/tech-tip-flagged-vs-unflagged-broom-bristles Tech Tip: Flagged vs. Unflagged Broom Bristles]</ref> In painting, flagged bristles yield more even application.<ref>''Old-House Journal,'' May 1986, [https://books.google.com/books?id=oPdI4Ss9kYkC&pg=PA171&dq=flagged+bristles p. 171]</ref>

==Natural types==
Bristles are found on [pig](/source/pig) breeds, instead of fur.  Because the density is less than with fur, pigs are vulnerable to [sunburn](/source/sunburn).  One breed, the [Tamworth pig](/source/Tamworth_pig), is endowed with a very dense bristle structure such that sunburn damage to skin is minimized.  Animals named for their bristles include [bristlebird](/source/bristlebird)s, the [bristle-thighed curlew](/source/bristle-thighed_curlew), the [bristle-spined porcupine](/source/bristle-spined_porcupine), and the [Trinity bristle snail](/source/Trinity_bristle_snail).
Bristles also anchor worms to the soil to help them move.

==See also==
* [Paintbrush](/source/Paintbrush)
* [Bristle sensilla](/source/Bristle_sensilla) - tactile hairs on insects

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gordonbrush.com/material_descriptions.php Types of Bristle Materials Used for Brushes]
{{Commons category|Bristle}}

Category:Animal hair

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bristle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.