ravel

[rav-uh l]

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.

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for ravelled

unwind, loosen, disentangle, free, untangle, unravel, untwist, unweave, untwine, unsnarl, unbraid

Examples from the Web for ravelled

Historical Examples of ravelled

I am living over the past and knitting up the ravelled ends.
The Love Affairs of an Old Maid
Lilian Bell
But to return, and bind to a conclusion our ravelled thoughts.
The Complete Prose Works of Martin Farquhar Tupper
Martin Farquhar Tupper
At last we had ravelled the four strands of the rope and I began to knot them together.
The Mystery of the Sea
Bram Stoker
Never let your bow-string get untwisted or ravelled by neglect.
Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopdia of Sports and Amusements
Various
The majority of his thoughts were but ravelled threads of the past.
Felix Holt, The Radical
George Eliot

British Dictionary definitions for ravelled

ravel

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

Ravel

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 ravelled

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.

ravel

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