tangle
1[ tang-guhl ]
/ ˈtæŋ gəl /
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verb (used with object), tan·gled, tan·gling.
verb (used without object), tan·gled, tan·gling.
to be or become tangled.
Informal. to come into conflict; fight or argue: I don't want to tangle with him over the new ruling.
noun
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of tangle
11300–50; Middle English tangilen, tagilen to entangle <Scandinavian; compare Swedish (dial.) taggla to disarrange
OTHER WORDS FROM tangle
tan·gle·ment, nountangler, nountangly, adverbWords nearby tangle
tangible, Tangier, Tangier disease, Tangier Zone, tangka, tangle, tangleberry, tangled, Tanglewood, tango, tangor
Definition for tangle (2 of 2)
tangle2
[ tang-guhl ]
/ ˈtæŋ gəl /
noun
any of several large seaweeds of the genus Laminaria.
Origin of tangle
21530–40; <Scandinavian; compare Old Norse thǫngull strand of tangle, Norwegian tang
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for tangle
British Dictionary definitions for tangle (1 of 2)
tangle1
/ (ˈtæŋɡəl) /
noun
a confused or complicated mass of hairs, lines, fibres, etc, knotted or coiled together
a complicated problem, condition, or situation
verb
to become or cause to become twisted together in a confused mass
(intr often foll by with) to come into conflict; contendto tangle with the police
(tr) to involve in matters which hinder or confuseto tangle someone in a shady deal
(tr) to ensnare or trap, as in a net
Derived forms of tangle
tanglement, nountangler, nountangly, adjectiveWord Origin for tangle
C14 tangilen, variant of tagilen, probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Swedish dialect taggla to entangle
British Dictionary definitions for tangle (2 of 2)
Word Origin for tangle
C16: of Scandinavian origin: compare Danish tang seaweed
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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