ravel

Definitions

1. 1.To undo the intricacies of; to disentangle.
2. 2.To pull apart, as the threads of a texture, and let them fall into a tangled mass; hence, to entangle; to make intricate; to involve. What glory's due to him that could divide Such raveled interests has he not untied Waller. The faith of very many men seems a duty so weak and indifferent, is so often untwisted by violence, or raveled and entangled in weak discourses! Jer. Taylor.
3. 3.To become untwisted or unwoven; to be disentangled; to be relieved of intricacy.
4. 4.To fall into perplexity and confusion. [Obs.] Till, by their own perplexities involved, They ravel more, still less resolved. Milton.
5. 5.To make investigation or search, as by picking out the threads of a woven pattern. [Obs.] The humor of raveling into all these mystical or entangled matters. Sir W. Temple.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

• What does "ravel" mean?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is ravel.

• What is to undo the intricacies of; to disentangle called?
• What is to become untwisted or unwoven; to be disentangled; to be relieved of intricacy called?
• What is to fall into perplexity and confusion. [Obs.] Till, by their own perplexities involved, They ravel more, still less resolved. Milton called?
• What is to make investigation or search, as by picking out the threads of a woven pattern. [Obs.] The humor of raveling into all these mystical or entangled matters. Sir W. Temple called?