Unreeling

Part of speech: verb, adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Unrolling or unwinding something that has been wound tightly around a spool or in a coil
2. Drawing out gradually by turning or unrolling a spool, reel, or coiled object
3. Straightening out something wound up by pulling it loose from a rolled or spiral form

Etymology: Unreeling is an inflected form of the verb "unreel," so it is the present participle of that verb. "Unreel" is formed from the prefix "un-," meaning "reverse or undo," and "reel," from Old English "hrēol" or "hrēl" and related to "reel" in the sense of a spool or cylinder that thread or film is wound around. To unreel is to undo that winding, letting out a length of thread, cord, film, or similar material, and it later took on the figurative sense of a story or sequence of events being recounted or revealed step by step.

Synonyms: unwinding, unrolling, unfurling

Antonyms: reeling, winding