ravel
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).
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.
a tangle or complication.
Origin of ravel
1Other words from ravel
- rav·el·er; especially British, rav·el·ler, noun
- rav·el·ly, adjective
Other definitions for Ravel (2 of 2)
Mau·rice Jo·seph [moh-reeszhaw-zef], /moʊˈris ʒɔˈzɛf/, 1875–1937, French composer.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ravel in a sentence
Their sides he attached as cross-bars to others, by means of strings ravelled from the canvas of the tapestries.
The False Chevalier | William Douw LighthallPhotographs of this ravelled cable were for a long time exhibited as a curiosity in the windows of Messrs. Newall & Co's.
Heroes of the Telegraph | J. MunroI wanted only to pick at a single knot; but when I had got that undone, the whole thing ravelled out.
Ghosts | Henrik IbsenItaly is so tender—like cooked macaroni—yards and yards of soft tenderness ravelled round everything.
Sea and Sardinia | D. H. Lawrence“I love you—I love you—” until at last sleep helped to knit up the ravelled sleave of care.
Olive in Italy | Moray Dalton
British Dictionary definitions for ravel (1 of 2)
/ (ˈrævəl) /
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 resolve: to 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
a tangle or complication
Origin of ravel
1Derived forms of ravel
- raveller, noun
- ravelly, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Ravel (2 of 2)
/ (French ravɛl) /
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
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