Thesaurus: ravel

Related headwords

Definitions

1. v. t. To separate or undo the texture of; to take apart; to untwist; to unweave or unknit; -- often followed by out; as, to ravel a twist; to ravel out a stocking.
2. v. t. To undo the intricacies of; to disentangle.
3. v. t. To pull apart, as the threads of a texture, and let them fall into a tangled mass; hence, to entangle; to make intricate; to involve.
4. v. i. To become untwisted or unwoven; to be disentangled; to be relieved of intricacy.
5. v. i. To fall into perplexity and confusion.
6. v. i. To make investigation or search, as by picking out the threads of a woven pattern.
7. n. a row of unravelled stitches
8. v. disentangle
9. v. tangle or complicate
10. 1. To separate or undo the texture of; to take apart; to untwist; to unweave or unknit; -- often followed by out; as, to ravel a twist; to ravel out a sticking. Sleep, that knits up the raveled sleave of care. Shak. 2. To undo the intricacies of; to disentangle. 3. To pull apart, as the threads of a texture, and let them fall into a tangled mass; hence, to entangle; to make intricate; to involve. What glory's due to him that could divide Such raveled interests has he not untied Waller. The faith of very many men seems a duty so weak and indifferent, is so often untwisted by violence, or raveled and entangled in weak discourses! Jer. Taylor. 1. To become untwisted or unwoven; to be disentangled; to be relieved of intricacy. 2. To fall into perplexity and confusion. [Obs.] Till, by their own perplexities involved, They ravel more, still less resolved. Milton. 3. To make investigation or search, as by picking out the threads of a woven pattern. [Obs.] The humor of raveling into all these mystical or entangled matters. Sir W. Temple.
11. v:100 n. French composer and exponent of Impressionism (1875-1937) v. disentangle v. tangle or complicate