/ ˈhekl; NAmE / verb
to interrupt a speaker at a public meeting by shouting out questions or rude remarks
SYN barrack :
[ vn ]
He was booed and heckled throughout his speech.
[also v ]
► heck·ler / ˈheklə(r); NAmE / noun
► heck·ling noun [ U ]
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (originally referring to the act of splitting and straightening out the fibres of flax or hemp): from heckle flax comb , a northern and eastern form of hackle . The sense interrupt (a public speaker) with aggressive comments arose in the mid 17th cent.; for the development in sense, compare with tease .