ravel

¹

[ rav-uhl ]

verb (used with object)

, rav·eled, rav·el·ing or (especially British) rav·elled, rav·el·ling.

1. to disentangle or unravel the threads or fibers of (a woven or knitted fabric, rope, etc.).
2. to tangle or entangle.
3. to involve; confuse; perplex.
4. to make clear; unravel (often followed by out ).

verb (used without object)

, rav·eled, rav·el·ing or (especially British) rav·elled, rav·el·ling.

1. to become disjoined thread by thread or fiber by fiber; fray.
2. to become tangled.
3. to become confused or perplexed.
4. (of a road surface) to lose aggregate.

noun

1. a tangle or complication.

Ravel

²

[ ruh-vel; French ra-vel ]

noun

1. Mau·rice Jo·seph [moh-, rees, zhaw-, zef], 1875–1937, French composer.

ravel

¹

/ ˈrævəl /

verb

1. to tangle (threads, fibres, etc) or (of threads, fibres, etc) to become entangled
2. often foll by out to tease or draw out (the fibres of a fabric or garment) or (of a garment or fabric) to fray out in loose ends; unravel
3. trusually foll byout to disentangle or resolve

   to ravel out a complicated story

4. to break up (a road surface) in patches or (of a road surface) to begin to break up; fret; scab
5. archaic.
   to make or become confused or complicated

noun

1. a tangle or complication

Ravel

²

/ ravɛl /

noun

1. RavelMaurice (Joseph)18751937MFrenchMUSIC: composer Maurice ( Joseph ) (mɔris). 1875–1937, French composer, noted for his use of unresolved dissonances and mastery of tone colour. His works include Gaspard de la Nuit (1908) and Le Tombeau de Couperin (1917) for piano, Boléro (1928) for orchestra, and the ballet Daphnis et Chloé (1912)

Derived Forms

• ˈraveller, noun
• ˈravelly, adjective

Other Words From

• ravel·er especially British, ravel·ler noun
• ravel·ly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ravel¹

First recorded in 1575–85, ravel is from the Dutch word rafelen

Word History and Origins

Origin of ravel¹

C16: from Middle Dutch ravelen

Example Sentences

Ravel and Schons also told VOSD that the formal agreement between Hughes and the city’s landlord seems to bolster the conflict-of-interest allegations.

From Voice of San Diego

Ravel said Hughes’ agreement to help cover costs should the deal go south were particularly troubling.

From Voice of San Diego

“I just don’t think you can say that there’s a clear legal standard here,” Ravel said.

From Voice of San Diego

So I started off with two influences: Ravel, directly, and also Bill Evans.

From The Daily Beast

I associate Ravel with your music from the beginning of your career.

From The Daily Beast

It was obvious to me that Bill Evans was influenced by Ravel, too.

From The Daily Beast

At most, the piece underlines a common notion of Ravel as predicting later, more strenuously modern music.

From The Daily Beast

What you hear could be Ravel reworking his own thoughts on music, if he'd lived into the 1960s.

From The Daily Beast

Andrew Harben began to wonder where it would end and what he would do when he had no more pants to ravel.

From Project Gutenberg

No, that's true; for you shall have one woman knit more in an hour, than any man can ravel again in seven-and-twenty years.

From Project Gutenberg

Mark all notches with basting thread, tailor's chalk, or notch the goods if it does not ravel.

From Project Gutenberg

The marking thread should be through every stitch so that they cannot ravel.

From Project Gutenberg

They ravel more, still less resolved: they become more confused, and ever less disentangled.

From Project Gutenberg