ravel

[ rav-uh l ]

/ ˈræv əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ravel ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), rav·eled, rav·el·ing or (especially British) rav·elled, rav·el·ling.

to disentangle or unravel the threads or fibers of (a woven or knitted fabric, rope, etc.).

to tangle or entangle.

to involve; confuse; perplex.

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.

to become disjoined thread by thread or fiber by fiber; fray.

to become tangled.

to become confused or perplexed.

(of a road surface) to lose aggregate.

noun

a tangle or complication.

Nearby words

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

Definition for ravel (2 of 2)

Ravel

[ ruh-vel; French ra-vel ]

/ rəˈvɛl; French raˈvɛl /

noun

Mau·rice Jo·seph

[moh-rees zhaw-zef] /moʊˈris ʒɔˈzɛf/, 1875–1937, French composer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ravel

I associate Ravel with your music from the beginning of your career.
Herbie Hancock Holds Forth|David Yaffe|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was obvious to me that Bill Evans was influenced by Ravel, too.
Herbie Hancock Holds Forth|David Yaffe|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So I started off with two influences: Ravel, directly, and also Bill Evans.
Herbie Hancock Holds Forth|David Yaffe|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At most, the piece underlines a common notion of Ravel as predicting later, more strenuously modern music.
Maurice Ravel, Brilliantly Un-Raveled|Blake Gopnik|June 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

What you hear could be Ravel reworking his own thoughts on music, if he'd lived into the 1960s.
Maurice Ravel, Brilliantly Un-Raveled|Blake Gopnik|June 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Of one blood we are, and love can ravel up our little difference and make us grow one indeed.
Cleopatra|H. Rider Haggard
The several straps, after describing a certain number of turns, ravel out at the ends and hang loose.
The Life of the Spider|J. Henri Fabre
O the complexities of the ravel produced by time struggling with eternity!
Anima Poet|Samuel Taylor Coleridge
If the thread breaks, ravel out a few stitches and let the old end of thread lie under the hem.
Clothing and Health|Helen Kinne
They ravel little, and can be steamed almost to their original freshness when they become worn.
The Story of Silk|Sara Ware Bassett

British Dictionary definitions for ravel (1 of 2)

ravel

/ (ˈrævəl) /

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled

to tangle (threads, fibres, etc) or (of threads, fibres, etc) to become entangled

(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

(tr usually foll by out) to disentangle or resolveto ravel out a complicated story

to break up (a road surface) in patches or (of a road surface) to begin to break up; fret; scab

archaic to make or become confused or complicated

noun

a tangle or complication

Derived Formsraveller, nounravelly, adjective

Word Origin for ravel

C16: from Middle Dutch ravelen

British Dictionary definitions for ravel (2 of 2)

Ravel

/ (French ravɛl) /

noun

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 ravel (1 of 2)

ravel

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.

Word Origin and History for ravel (1 of 2)

ravel

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

ravel

verb (used with object), rav·eled, rav·el·ing or (especially British) rav·elled, rav·el·ling.

verb (used without object), rav·eled, rav·el·ing or (especially British) rav·elled, rav·el·ling.

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of ravel

Definition for ravel (2 of 2)

Ravel

noun

Examples from the Web for ravel

British Dictionary definitions for ravel (1 of 2)

ravel

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled

noun

Word Origin for ravel

British Dictionary definitions for ravel (2 of 2)

Ravel

noun

Word Origin and History for ravel (1 of 2)

ravel

Word Origin and History for ravel (1 of 2)

ravel