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What is "ravelling"

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ravelling
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Ravelling

Ravel \Rav"el\ (r[a^]v"'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Raveled (-'ld) or Ravelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Raveling or Ravelling.] [OD. ravelen, D. rafelen, akin to LG. rebeln, rebbeln, reffeln.]

  1. To separate or undo the texture of; to unravel; to take apart; to untwist; to unweave or unknit; -- often followed by out; as, to ravel a twist; to ravel out a stocking.

    Sleep, that knits up the raveled sleave of care.
    --Shak.

  2. To undo the intricacies of; to disentangle.

  3. 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 the knot 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.

Wiktionary
ravelling

n. A tangled mess, a decomposition. vb. (present participle of ravel English)

WordNet
ravelling

n. a bit of fiber that has become separated from woven fabric [syn: raveling]

ravel

  1. v. 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]

  3. [also: ravelling, ravelled]

ravelling

See ravel

Usage examples of "ravelling".

Bringing forth her packet of needles, she chose the smallest, and, using ravellings of the material itself, she set to work.

The body of a so-called bayeta blanket was woven of close-spun native wool, dyed dark blue, while the red pattern was from the ravellings of Spanish bayeta.