" . . . the ravel'd ___ of care"

• Kind of silk
• Raveled silk
• Silk filament
• Separate, as thread
• "The ravel'd ___ of care."
• Silken thread
• "The ravell'd __ of care": Shak
• Divide silk into filaments
• Shakespeare's "___of care"

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sleave \Sleave\ (sl[=e]v), n. [Cf. Dan. sl["o]if, a knot loop, Sw. slejf, G. schleife a knot, sliding knot, and E. slip, v.i.] The knotted or entangled part of silk or thread. Silk not yet twisted; floss; -- called also sleave silk . Sleep that knits up ...