tangle

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: tan=gle

CIDE DICTIONARY

tangle, v. t. [A frequentative fr. tang seaweed; hence, to twist like seaweed. See Tang seaweed, and cf. Tangle, n.].

•  To unite or knit together confusedly; to interweave or interlock, as threads, so as to make it difficult to unravel the knot; to entangle; to ravel.  [1913 Webster]
•  To involve; to insnare; to entrap; as, to be tangled in lies.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

  "When my simple weakness strays,
  Tangled in forbidden ways."  [1913 Webster]

tangle, v. i. 

 To be entangled or united confusedly; to get in a tangle.  [1913 Webster]

tangle, n. 

•  Any large blackish seaweed, especially the Laminaria saccharina. See Kelp.  [1913 Webster]

  "Coral and sea fan and tangle, the blooms and the palms of the ocean."  [1913 Webster]
•  A knot of threads, or other thing, united confusedly, or so interwoven as not to be easily disengaged; a snarl; as, hair or yarn in tangles; a tangle of vines and briers. Used also figuratively.  [1913 Webster]
•  An instrument consisting essentially of an iron bar to which are attached swabs, or bundles of frayed rope, or other similar substances, -- used to capture starfishes, sea urchins, and other similar creatures living at the bottom of the sea.  [1913 Webster]

Blue tangle. (Bot.)See Dangleberry. -- Tangle picker (Zoöl.), the turnstone. [Prov. Eng.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tangle, v. & n.
--v.
1 a tr. intertwine (threads or hairs etc.) in a confused mass; entangle. b intr. become tangled.
2 intr. (foll. by with) colloq. become involved (esp. in conflict or argument) with (don't tangle with me).
3 tr. complicate (a tangled affair).
--n.
1 a confused mass of intertwined threads etc.
2 a confused or complicated state (be in a tangle; a love tangle).

tangle, n. any of various seaweeds, esp. of the genus Laminaria or Fucus.

Etymology

prob. f. Norw. taangel f. ON th{ouml}ngull

THESAURUS

tangle

Chinese puzzle, Gordian knot, Rube Goldberg contraption, a outrance, absorb, allure, bag, bait the hook, ball up, bandy with, battle, battle it out, birdlime, bump heads, burden, can of worms, catch, catch out, catch up, catch up in, coil, come up against, complex, complexity, complicate, complication, concern, confound, confuse, confusion, contend with, cope with, cramp, cripple, cross swords with, cumber, decoy, disagree with, dispute, draw in, embarrass, embrangle, embroil, encumber, engage, engage with, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, entanglement, entoil, entrammel, entrap, entwine, enweb, exchange shots, fetter, fight against, fight like devils, fight with, foul, foul up, gin, gnarl, go to loggerheads, grapple with, hamper, hamstring, handicap, harpoon, have it out, hobble, hook, hook in, impede, implicate, interest, interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, inveigle, involve, jam, jumble, jungle, kink, knot, labyrinth, lame, land, lasso, lime, lock horns, louse up, lumber, lure, maze, meander, measure swords with, medley, mesh, mess, mess up, mishmash, mix up, mix-up, morass, muck, muck up, muddle, nail, net, noose, perplex, press down, puzzle, ramify, ravel, rope, sack, saddle with, scramble, screw up, settle it, shackle, shuffle, skein, snafu, snag, snake pit, snare, snarl, snarl up, sniggle, spear, spread the toils, strive with, struggle with, suck into, take, tangle up with, tangle with, tangled skein, tilt with, toil, trammel, trap, trip, try conclusions with, twist, web, webwork, weigh down, wheels within wheels, wilderness, wind, wrestle with

ROGET THESAURUS

tangle

Derangement

VB derange, disarrange, misarrange, displace, misplace, mislay, discompose, disorder, deorganize, discombobulate, disorganize, embroil, unsettle, disturb, confuse, trouble, perturb, jumble, tumble, shuffle, randomize, huddle, muddle, toss, hustle, fumble, riot, bring into disorder, put into disorder, throw into disorder, muss, break the ranks, disconcert, convulse, break in upon, unhinge, dislocate, put out of joint, throw out of gear, turn topsy-turvy, bedevil, complicate, involve, perplex, confound, imbrangle, embrangle, tangle, entangle, ravel, tousle, towzle, dishevel, ruffle, rumple, litter, scatter, mix, rearrange.

Crossing

VB cross, decussate, intersect, interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, interdigitate, interlink, twine, entwine, weave, inweave, twist, wreathe, anastomose, inosculate, dovetail, splice, link, lace, tat, mat, plait, plat, braid, felt, twill, tangle, entangle, ravel, net, knot, dishevel, raddle.