clew

listen to the pronunciation of clew
English - English
The sheets so attached to a sail
The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. On a triangular sail, the clew is the trailing corner relative to the wind direction
A roughly spherical mass or body
Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue

Not often did Jesse James leave a clew to his identity when he galloped away from a crime of violence, back into the mysterious Nowhere whence he came.

to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail)
to roll into a ball
The cords suspending a hammock

He taught us how to attach the clews to the ends of the hammock and then lash it between jack stays.

A ball of thread or yarn

on one side of her lay a pair of carpet slippers and on the other a ball of red wool, the leading filament of which she would tug at every now and then with the immemorial elbow jerk of a Zemblan knitter to give a turn to her yarn clew and slacken the thread.

{n} a ball of thread guide, corner of a fai
{v} to raise the sails, to draw up
The after lower corner of a sail where the foot and leech meet
a ball of yarn or cord or thread
To move of draw (a sail or yard) by means of the clew garnets, clew lines, etc
Bottom rear corner of sail
A ball of thread, yarn, or cord; also, The thread itself
{f} raise or lower using a clew (Nautical); roll into a ball, coil
A lower corner of a square sail, or the after corner of a fore-and- aft sail
A lower corner of a square sail or the aft most corner of a fore-and-aft sail [from Ned Myers]
the lower aft corner of the sail
Device that connects several ropes or cables to one, usually stronger, rope or cable
{i} ball of yarn; corner of a sail (Nautical)
evidence that helps to solve a problem
Bottom corner of a sail
Bottom back corner of sail
Yarn or thread as used to guide ones way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue
The corner of the sail where the leech meets the foot
To direct; to guide, as by a thread
The lower corner of a mainsail, jib or genoa and either lower corner of a spinnaker attached to the sheet
The lower after corner of a sail
Metal or wood piece, usually a triangular plate, with a single hole at one corner and multiple holes across the opposite side Used for changing from single line to multiple lines
A loop and thimbles at the corner of a sail
The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. On a triangluar sail, the clew is the trailing corner relative to the wind direction
1) The lower corners of a square sail, "and the after lower corner of a fore-and-aft sail " (Underhill) 2) The lines attached to those corners and used to haul the clews upward to the yard for furling
alternative spelling of clue
esp
to draw up the clews of a square sail to the yard
Evidence leading to recovery of a missing sail
That which guides or directs one in anything of a doubtful or intricate nature; that which gives a hint in the solution of a mystery
To haul a square sail up to a yard previous to furling by means of clew lines
A combination of lines or nettles by which a hammock is suspended
roll into a ball
A device, usually steel plate or iron ring, that allows the transition of a number of lines into one
clew-garnet
A rope attaching to the clew (lower corner) of a sail, used to furl it
clew line
A rope used to raise the clew of a sail up to the yard or mast
clew up
draw a sail up to the yard to be rolled up tightly
clewed
past of clew
clewing
present participle of clew
clews
the cords used to suspend a hammock
clews
plural of clew
clew

    Pronunciation

    Etymology

    [ 'klü ] (noun.) before 12th century. Middle English clewe from Old English cleowen, cliewen, cliwen from W.Gmc kleuwin from Proto-Germanic *kliwjo- (“ball”) from Proto-Indo-European *gleu- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass”). Akin to Old English clǣġ "clay".
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