Also 7–8 in-. [f. ENTANGLE v. + -MENT.]
1. The action of entangling; the fact or condition of being entangled, confused medley.
1687. H. More, App. Antid. (1712), 194. The intanglement of multifarious Contradictions in the Conception.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), III. 80. The different webs that offer to him for the entanglement of a haughty charmer.
1835–6. Todd, Cycl. Anat., I. 229/1. The entanglement of blood in the cellular coat of the vessel.
1845. Darwin, Voy. Nat., viii. (1876), 160. Produced by the entanglement of the single threads.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. iv. 42. Serious risks of entanglement among the broken icefields.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 2. 21. Great was the entanglement of fissures.
1861. Tulloch, Eng. Purit., i. 109. In all that concerns Cromwell especially the entanglement is extreme.
1871. Blackie, Four Phases, I. 122. He kept himself out of all political entanglement.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. xiii. 638. Without entanglement of machinery or waste of power.
b. An instance of entanglement.
a. 1690. E. Hopkins, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. xi. 6. All the involucra and entanglements of Providence shall be fully unfolded.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., viii. (1852), 239. Thus entanglements arise not easy to be unravelled.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. viii. 278. The first entanglements between Normandy and Anjou.
2. A means of entangling; that by which a person or thing is entangled; an embarrassment, a snare; a circumstance that complicates or confuses a matter.
1637–50. Row, Hist. Kirk (1842), 475. These civile honors and employments are verie great entanglements to Christ’s ministers.
1644. Milton, Judgm. Bucer, Wks. 1738, I. 281. The Roman Antichrists have knit many a pernicious entanglement to distressed Consciences.
1691–8. Norris, Pract. Disc. (1711), III. 17. A very great let and intanglement to him in his enquiry after Truth.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Corn, Those salts … cut and remove the entanglements of the different buds which are contained in each seed.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 552. Pleasure is a sly enchantress…; so that we have need of all our eyes to keep clear of her entanglements.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 267. These are a few of the entanglements which impede the natural course of human thought.
1878. Seeley, Stein, III. 357. Here was a new entanglement, the plot of a quite new historical drama.
b. Naut. ‘A cable stretched athwart the mouth of a river or harbour, with … stout spars of wood lashed to it, to prevent the entrance of an enemy’ (Adm. Smyth).
1888. Daily News, 20 July, 6/1. The booms, or rather entanglements, which are to protect each of the entrances to our anchorage are already nearly ready.
