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ravel

[rav-uh l]
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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.

Origin of ravel

First recorded in 1575–85, ravel is from the Dutch word rafelen
Related formsrav·el·er; especially British, rav·el·ler, nounrav·el·ly, adjective

raveling

[rav-uh-ling]
noun
  1. something raveled out, as a thread drawn or separated from a knitted or woven fabric.
Also especially British, rav·el·ling.

Origin of raveling

First recorded in 1650–60; ravel + -ing1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ravelling

Historical Examples

  • Was he ravelling out his life into golden threads that vanished and were forgotten?

    The Great Hunger

    Johan Bojer

  • It is not by ravelling that you will best appreciate its tissue or design.

  • There's no crying off for YOU no ravelling out, no clean leaves.

    The Return

    Walter de la Mare

  • I was afraid to use violence for fear of breaking it, or ravelling it through.

    The Vast Abyss

    George Manville Fenn

  • She would pick every shred, ravelling, or speck from one's clothing.

British Dictionary definitions for ravelling

ravel

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled
  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. (tr usually foll by out) to disentangle or resolveto 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
Derived Formsraveller, nounravelly, adjective

Word Origin

C16: from Middle Dutch ravelen

Ravel

noun
  1. 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)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ravelling

ravel

v.

1580s, "to untangle, disentangle, unwind" (originally with out), also "to entangle, become tangled or confused," from Dutch ravelen "to tangle, fray," rafelen "to unweave," from rafel "frayed thread." The seemingly contradictory senses of this word (ravel and unravel are both synonyms and antonyms) are reconciled by its roots in weaving and sewing: as threads become unwoven, they get tangled.

ravel

n.

1630s, "a tangle;" 1832, "a broken thread," from ravel (v.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper