clew

views updated Jun 11 2018

clew / kloō/ • n. 1. the lower or after corner of a sail.2. (clews) Naut. the cords by which a hammock is suspended. ∎  (clew) a ball of thread (used esp. with reference to the thread supposedly used by Theseus to mark his way out of the Cretan labyrinth).3. archaic variant of clue.• v. [tr.] (clew a sail up) Sailing haul up the clews of a sail to the yard or into the mast ready for furling. ∎  (clew a sail down) lower an upper square sail by hauling down on the clew lines while slacking away on the halyard.

clew

views updated May 18 2018

clew (arch.) ball, esp. of thread OE.; (naut.) corner of a sail to which tacks and sheets are made fast XVI. OE. cliwen, cleowen = MLG., Du. kluwen, f. base of OHG. kliuwi, kliuwa, MHG. kliuwel(īn); prob. ult. rel. to CLAW. See CLUE.

Clew

views updated May 29 2018

Clew

a globe, ball, or spherical bunch; a tangled cluster of things; a ball of thread, etc.

Examples: clew of bees, 1616; of cord; of thread; of yarn; of worms, 1669.