English Dictionary

RAVEL (ravelled, ravelling)

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

Irregular inflected forms: ravelled  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation, ravelling  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Ravel mean? 

RAVEL (noun)
  The noun RAVEL has 2 senses:

1. French composer and exponent of Impressionism (1875-1937)play

2. a row of unravelled stitchesplay

  Familiarity information: RAVEL used as a noun is rare.


RAVEL (verb)
  The verb RAVEL has 2 senses:

1. disentangleplay

2. tangle or complicateplay

  Familiarity information: RAVEL used as a verb is rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


RAVEL (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

French composer and exponent of Impressionism (1875-1937)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Maurice Ravel; Ravel

Instance hypernyms:

composer (someone who composes music as a profession)


Sense 2

Meaning:

A row of unravelled stitches

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

ladder; ravel; run

Context example:

she got a run in her stocking

Hypernyms ("ravel" is a kind of...):

damage; harm; impairment (the occurrence of a change for the worse)

Derivation:

ravel (tangle or complicate)

ravel (disentangle)


RAVEL (verb)

 Conjugation: 
Present simple: I / you / we / they ravel  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation ... he / she / it ravels  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past simple: raveled  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation / ravelled  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past participle: raveled  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation / ravelled  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
-ing form: raveling  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation / ravelling  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Disentangle

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

ravel; ravel out; unravel

Context example:

can you unravel the mystery?

Hypernyms (to "ravel" is one way to...):

disentangle; straighten out; unsnarl (extricate from entanglement)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

ravel (a row of unravelled stitches)

raveling; ravelling (a bit of fiber that has become separated from woven fabric)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Tangle or complicate

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

knot; ravel; tangle

Context example:

a ravelled story

Hypernyms (to "ravel" is one way to...):

enlace; entwine; interlace; intertwine; lace; twine (spin, wind, or twist together)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Antonym:

unravel (become or cause to become undone by separating the fibers or threads of)

unravel (disentangle)

Derivation:

ravel (a row of unravelled stitches)


 Context examples 


What I have purposed to record is nearly finished; but there is yet an incident conspicuous in my memory, on which it often rests with delight, and without which one thread in the web I have spun would have a ravelled end.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
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