I. tan ‧ gle 1 /ˈtæŋɡ ə l/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] ( also tangle up ) to become twisted together, or make something become twisted together, in an untidy mass:
My hair tangles easily.
His parachute became tangled in the wheels of the plane.
2 . [intransitive] to argue or fight with someone
tangle with
It was not an animal you’d care to tangle with.
II. tangle 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a twisted mass of something such as hair or thread:
Her hair was full of tangles after being out in the wind.
tangle of
John was sitting on the floor in a tangle of blankets.
tangle of bushes/branches/vegetation etc
She followed him, pushing through the dense tangle of bushes and branches.
2 . a confused state or situation
tangle of
Her brain was teeming with a whole tangle of emotions.
3 . informal a quarrel or fight
tangle with
She got into a tangle with the staff.