different between unravel vs edify

English

Etymology

From un- +? ravel. Compare Dutch ontrafelen (“to unravel”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n??æv?l/

• Rhymes: -æv?l

Verb

unravel (third-person singular simple present unravels, present participle unravelling or (US) unraveling, simple past and past participle unravelled or (US) unraveled)

1. (transitive) To separate the threads (of); disentangle.

   Synonyms: disentangle, unsnarl

2. (intransitive, of threads etc.) To become separated; (of something woven, knitted, etc.) to come apart.
   • 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Prometheus Unbound, London: C. & J. Ollier, Act II, Scene 1, p. 63,^[1]

     […] the burning threads

     Of woven cloud unravel in pale air:

   • 2015, Lesley Nneka Arimah, “Who Will Greet You at Home,” The New Yorker, 26 October, 2015,^[2]

     The yarn baby lasted a good month […] before Ogechi snagged its thigh on a nail and it unravelled as she continued walking […]

3. (transitive, figuratively) To clear from complication or difficulty; to unfold; to solve.

   Synonyms: solve, unriddle

   • 1683, John Dryden, “Life of Plutarch” in Plutarchs Lives, Volume 1, London: Jacob Tonson, p. 9,^[3]

     […] he disputed best, and unravell’d the difficulties of Philosophy with most success when he was at Supper, and well warm’d with Wine.

   • 1887, Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Chapter 5,^[4]

     I left Holmes seated in front of the smouldering fire, and long into the watches of the night I heard the low, melancholy wailings of his violin, and knew that he was still pondering over the strange problem which he had set himself to unravel.
4. (transitive, figuratively) To separate the connected or united parts of; to throw into disorder; to confuse.
   • 1679, John Dryden, Oedipus

     Art shall be conjured for it, and nature all unravelled.
5. (intransitive, figuratively) To become undone; to collapse.
   • 2010, Ian Cowie, "State pension Ponzi scheme unravels with retirement at 70", The Telegraph, June 24th, 2010,

     The great Ponzi scheme that lies behind our State pension is unravelling – as they all do eventually – because money being taken from new investors is insufficient to honour promises issued to earlier generations.

Usage notes

The spellings unraveling and unraveled are primarily US while unravelling and unravelled are primarily UK, other Commonwealth countries, and Ireland.

Derived terms

• unrevelling

Translations

Anagrams

• venular, vulnera

English

Alternative forms

• ædify (archaic)

Etymology

From Old French edifier (“to build, to edify”), from Latin aedificare (“build”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??d?fa?/

Verb

edify (third-person singular simple present edifies, present participle edifying, simple past and past participle edified)

1. (now rare) To build, construct.
2. (transitive) To instruct or improve morally or intellectually.
   • January 23, 1783, Edward Gibbon, letter to Dr. Priestley

     It does not appear probable that our dispute [about miracles] would either edify or enlighten the public.

   • 1813, The Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, Vol. VI, page 455

     That they ought to edify one another by maintaining and promoting the knowledge of truth.

   • 1641, Francis Bacon, A Wise and Moderate Discourse, Concerning Church-Affaires

     frustrate the best endeavours in the edifying of the church

Related terms

• edification
• edificator
• edifice
• edifier
• edifying

Translations

Anagrams

• deify