tangle

1
[ tang-guhl ]
/ ˈtæŋ gəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR tangle ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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Origin of tangle

1
1300–50; Middle English tangilen, tagilen to entangle < Scandinavian; compare Swedish (dial.) taggla to disarrange

OTHER WORDS FROM tangle

tan·gle·ment, nountan·gler, nountan·gly, adverb

Words nearby tangle

tangible, tangier, tangier disease, tangier zone, tangka, tangle, tangleberry, tangled, tanglewood, tango, tangor

Definition for tangle (2 of 2)

tangle2
[ tang-guh l ]
/ ˈtæŋ gəl /

noun

any of several large seaweeds of the genus Laminaria.

Origin of tangle

2
1530–40; < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse thǫngull strand of tangle, Norwegian tang
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to tangle

mess, labyrinth, snarl, coil, skein, morass, entangle, perplex, embroil, confuse, enmesh, trap, jam, complication, web, muddle, snag, twist, mesh, mass

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, adjective

Word 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)

tangle2

tangle weed

/ (ˈtæŋɡəl) /

noun

alternative names (esp Scot) for oarweed

Word Origin for tangle

C16: of Scandinavian origin: compare Danish tang seaweed
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