Main Entry:

¹tan·gle

Pronunciation:

\ˈtaŋ-gəl\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

tan·gled; tan·gling \-g(ə-)liŋ\

Etymology:

Middle English tanglen, tagilen, probably short for entanglen, from Anglo-French entagler, entangler to prosecute (for), implicate

Date:

14th century

transitive verb 1 : to involve so as to hamper, obstruct, or embarrass 2 : to seize and hold in or as if in a snare : entrap 3 : to unite or knit together in intricate confusion intransitive verb 1 : to interact in a contentious or conflicting way 2 : to become entangled