tangle
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tan·gle 1
(tăng′gəl)v. tan·gled, tan·gling, tan·gles
v.tr.
1. To mix together or intertwine in a confused mass; snarl: The fishing lines from the two boats were tangled.
2. To catch or ensnare in an intertwined or confused mass: A turtle was tangled in the fishing net.
3. To involve in a complicated situation or in circumstances from which it is difficult to disengage: He got tangled up in a scheme to commit fraud.
v.intr.
1. To be or become entangled.
2. Informal To enter into argument, dispute, or conflict: tangled with the law.
n.
1. A confused, intertwined mass: a tangle of blood vessels.
2. A jumbled or confused state or condition: a tangle of conflicting reports.
3. Informal An argument or altercation.
[Middle English tangilen, to involve in an embarrassing situation, variant of tagilen, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialectal taggla, to entangle.]
tan′gly adj.
tan·gle 2
(tăng′gəl)n.
Any of several large edible seaweeds, especially a kelp.
[Of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse thöngull, seaweed.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
tangle
(ˈtæŋɡəl)n
1. a confused or complicated mass of hairs, lines, fibres, etc, knotted or coiled together
2. a complicated problem, condition, or situation
vb
3. to become or cause to become twisted together in a confused mass
4. (often foll by: with) to come into conflict; contend: to tangle with the police.
5. (tr) to involve in matters which hinder or confuse: to tangle someone in a shady deal.
6. (tr) to ensnare or trap, as in a net
[C14 tangilen, variant of tagilen, probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Swedish dialect taggla to entangle]
ˈtanglement n
ˈtangler n
ˈtangly adj
tangle
(ˈtæŋɡəl) ortangleweed
n
(Plants) alternative names (esp Scot) for oarweed
[C16: of Scandinavian origin: compare Danish tang seaweed]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
tan•gle1
(ˈtæŋ gəl)v. -gled, -gling,
n. v.t.
1. to bring together into a mass of confusedly interlaced or intertwisted strands; snarl.
2. to involve in something that hampers, obstructs, or overgrows.
3. to catch and hold in or as if in a net or snare.
v.i. 4. to be or become tangled.
5. to come into conflict; fight or argue.
n. 6. a tangled condition or situation.
7. a tangled mass; snarl.
8. a confused jumble; maze.
9. a conflict; disagreement.
[1300–50; Middle English ta(n)gilen to entangle]
tan′gle•ment, n.
tan′gler, n.
tan′gly, adv.
tan•gle2
(ˈtæŋ gəl)n.
any of several large seaweeds of the genus Laminaria.
[1530–40; < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse thǫngull strand of tangle, Norwegian tang]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Tangle
a knot of threads or other items in confused piles.Examples: tangles of courts, 1861; of creepers, 1842; of facts and figures, 1883; of metaphysics, 1858; of low scrubby oaks, 1873; of serpent tresses, 1819; of words, 1866.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
tangle
Past participle: tangled
Gerund: tangling
| Imperative |
|---|
| tangle |
| tangle |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  tangle - a twisted and tangled mass that is highly interwoven; "they carved their way through the tangle of vines"natural object - an object occurring naturally; not made by man hair ball, hairball, trichobezoar - a compact mass of hair that forms in the alimentary canal (especially in the stomach of animals as a result of licking fur) |
| 2. | tangle - something jumbled or confused; "a tangle of government regulations" perplexity - trouble or confusion resulting from complexity | |
| Verb | 1. | tangle - force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action; "They were swept up by the events"; "don't drag me into this business" involve - engage as a participant; "Don't involve me in your family affairs!" |
| 2. | tangle - tangle or complicate; "a ravelled story" | |
| 3. |  tangle - disarrange or rumple; dishevel; "The strong wind tousled my hair"disarrange - destroy the arrangement or order of; "My son disarranged the papers on my desk" | |
| 4. |  tangle - twist together or entwine into a confusing mass; "The child entangled the cord"felt - mat together and make felt-like; "felt the wool" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
tangle
noun
verb
1. twist, knot, mat, coil, snarl, mesh, entangle, interlock, kink, interweave, ravel, interlace, enmesh, intertwist a huge mass of hair, all tangled together
twist unravel, disentangle, untangle, free, extricate, straighten out
twist unravel, disentangle, untangle, free, extricate, straighten out
tangle something or someone up (usually passive)
2. mix up, involve, implicate, embroil, drag into, mire He tried to avoid getting tangled up in any awkward situations.
tangle with someone come into conflict with, come up against, cross swords with, dispute with, contend with, contest with, lock horns with They are not the first bank to tangle with the taxman recently.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
tangle
verb2. To make complex, intricate, or perplexing:
3. To gain control of or an advantage over by or as if by trapping:
4. Informal. To engage in a quarrel:
Informal: hassle.
1. Something that is intricately and often bewilderingly complex:
2. Informal. A discussion, often heated, in which a difference of opinion is expressed:
altercation, argument, bicker, clash, contention, controversy, debate, difficulty, disagreement, dispute, fight, polemic, quarrel, run-in, spat, squabble, tiff, word (used in plural), wrangle.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَشابُك، تَعَقُّديَشْبِك
pocuchatspleťzamotatzměť
sammenfiltre
gubancösszegubancol
flækja
įsivelti į ginčą susuraizgytisusiraizgytisusivėlęssusivelti
ērkulisjuceklissamudžināt
spleťzamotať
zamešatizaplestizmešnjava
arap saçına döndürmekarap saçına dönmüş şey
tangle
[ˈtæŋgl]A. N (in hair) → enredo m, maraña f; [of streets] → laberinto m (fig) (= muddle) → enredo m, lío m
a tangle of weeds → una maraña de malas hierbas
a tangle of wool → una maraña de lana
to be in a tangle [hair, thread] → estar enredado
the sheets were in a tangle → las sábanas estaban hechas una maraña
I'm in a tangle with the accounts → me he hecho un lío con las cuentas
to get into a tangle [hair, thread] → enredarse
I got into a tangle with the police → me metí en un lío con la policía
a tangle of weeds → una maraña de malas hierbas
a tangle of wool → una maraña de lana
to be in a tangle [hair, thread] → estar enredado
the sheets were in a tangle → las sábanas estaban hechas una maraña
I'm in a tangle with the accounts → me he hecho un lío con las cuentas
to get into a tangle [hair, thread] → enredarse
I got into a tangle with the police → me metí en un lío con la policía
C. VI (also tangle up) → enredarse, enmarañarse
to tangle with sth/sb (fig) → meterse en algo/con algn
to tangle with sth/sb (fig) → meterse en algo/con algn
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
tangle
[ˈtæŋgəl] n
[wires, string, rope, hair, sheets, weeds, branches, undergrowth] → enchevêtrement m
a tangle of wires → un enchevêtrement de câbles
to be in a tangle [string, wires, hair] → être emmêlé(e)
to get in a tangle [string, wires, hair] → s'emmêler
a tangle of wires → un enchevêtrement de câbles
to be in a tangle [string, wires, hair] → être emmêlé(e)
to get in a tangle [string, wires, hair] → s'emmêler
(= confusion) → enchevêtrement m
to get o.s. in a tangle → être en pleine confusion
We had got ourselves in a tangle → Nous étions en pleine confusion.
to be in a tangle [person] → être en pleine confusion; [situation, financial affairs] → être un sac de nœuds
My tax affairs were in a complete tangle → Mes affaires fiscales étaient un véritable sac de nœuds.
to get o.s. in a tangle → être en pleine confusion
We had got ourselves in a tangle → Nous étions en pleine confusion.
to be in a tangle [person] → être en pleine confusion; [situation, financial affairs] → être un sac de nœuds
My tax affairs were in a complete tangle → Mes affaires fiscales étaient un véritable sac de nœuds.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
tangle
n
(lit) → Gewirr nt; the string was in a tangle → die Schnur hatte sich verheddert; the tangles in her hair → ihr verheddertes Haar; to get into a tangle → sich verheddern
(fig: = muddle) → Wirrwarr m, → Durcheinander nt; to get into a tangle → sich verheddern; I’m in such a tangle with my tax forms → ich komme bei meinen Steuerformularen überhaupt nicht klar; she has got herself into an emotional tangle → sie hat sich gefühlsmäßig verstrickt
(fig: = trouble) → Ärger m, → Schwierigkeiten pl; she’s in a real tangle this time → diesmal hat sie sich aber böse hineingeritten; he got into a tangle with the police → er ist mit der Polizei aneinandergeraten, er hat Schwierigkeiten mit der Polizei gehabt
vt (lit, fig) → verwirren, durcheinanderbringen; wool, string also → verheddern; hair → durcheinanderbringen; to get tangled (lit, fig) → sich verheddern; (ropes) → sich verknoten; a tangled web → ein Gespinst nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
tangle
[ˈtæŋgl]1. n (of wool, wire) → groviglio; (in hair) → nodo (fig) (muddle) → confusione f
to get into a tangle (gen) → aggrovigliarsi (hair) → arruffarsi (person) → combinare un pasticcio
to get into a tangle (gen) → aggrovigliarsi (hair) → arruffarsi (person) → combinare un pasticcio
2. vt (also tangle up) → aggrovigliare; (hair) → arruffare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
tangle
(ˈtӕŋgl) noun an untidy, confused or knotted state. The child's hair was in a tangle.
verb to make or become tangled. Don't tangle my wool when I'm knitting.
ˈtangled adjective in a tangle. tangled hair/branches; Her hair is always tangled.
tangle with to become involved in a quarrel or struggle with (a person etc). I tangled with him over politics.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
tan·gle
n. enredo, confusión;
vr. enredarse; confundirse.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012