[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

ravel \rav"el\ ra^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.
      1913 webster

            sleep, that knits up the raveled sleave of care.
                                                  --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. to undo the intricacies of; to disentangle.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

            what glory's due to him that could divide
            such raveled interests? has the knot untied?
                                                  --waller.
      1913 webster

            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.
      1913 webster
see also:
raveled ravelled raveling ravelling 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

raveling \rav"eling\ ra^v"'li^ng, n. also ravelling.
   1. the act of untwisting or of disentangling.
      1913 webster

   2. that which is raveled out; esp., a thread detached from a
      texture.
      1913 webster

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

raveling
     n : a bit of fiber that has become separated from woven fabric
         syn: ravelling
see also:
ravelling 

Raveling >> R Words
Raveling, definition of term: Raveling
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