Hypertext Webster Gateway: "ravel"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Ravel \Rav"el\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Raveled}or {Ravelled}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Raveling} or {Ravelling}.] [. ravelen, D.
rafelen, akin to LG. rebeln, rebbeln, reffeln.]
1. To separate or undo the texture of; to take apart; to
untwist; to unweave or unknit; -- often followed by out;
as, to ravel a twist; to ravel out a sticking.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Ravel \Rav"el\, v. i.
1. To become untwisted or unwoven; to be disentangled; to be
relieved of intricacy.
2. To fall into perplexity and confusion. [Obs.]
Till, by their own perplexities involved, They ravel
more, still less resolved. --Milton.
3. 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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
ravel
n : a row of unravelled stitches; "she got a run in her
stocking" [syn: {run}, {ladder}]
v 1: disentangle; "can you unravel the mystery?" "unravel the
ball or yarn" [syn: {unravel}, {ravel out}]
2: tangle or complicate; "a ravelled story" [syn: {tangle}, {knot}]
[ant: {unravel}, {unravel}]
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