ravel

¹

[rav-uhl]

verb (used with object)

raveled, raveling , ravelled, ravelling .

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 byout ).

verb (used without object)

raveled, raveling , ravelled, ravelling .

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, ra-vel]

noun

1. Maurice Joseph 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. 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. 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)

Other Word Forms

• raveller noun
• ravelly adjective
• raveler noun

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

“Hence, ravel; a tool that does the fiddly nesting together of details and summary tags for you.”

Read more on The Verge

So somehow, Grace, Sacha and Robert end up accompanying Art and Charlotte to Norfolk, and all of their stories unravel and ravel at once.

Read more on Washington Post

Her hair was black yarn that had been knit and raveled, so that it was curly.

Read more on Literature

But now, even though the cold already bit in the mornings, she wore only her one earth-colored dress with the raveled hem.

Read more on Literature

And I’d like there to be, within those three attempts, a story that ravels and unravels and is a piece of Nadia’s heart, something vital to her.

Read more on The New Yorker