CLEW

clue, clew, cue

(noun) evidence that helps to solve a problem

clew

(noun) a ball of yarn or cord or thread

clue, clew

(verb) roll into a ball

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

clew (plural clews)

(obsolete) A roughly spherical mass or body.

(archaic) A ball of thread or yarn.

Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue.

(nautical) 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 trailing corner relative to the wind direction.

(in the plural) The sheets so attached to a sail.

(nautical, in the plural) The cords suspending a hammock.

Obsolete spelling of clue.

Coordinate terms

• (lower corner of a sail): bunt

Verb

clew (third-person singular simple present clews, present participle clewing, simple past and past participle clewed)

(transitive) to roll into a ball

(nautical) (transitive and intransitive) to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail)

Source: Wiktionary

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Clew, Clue, n. Etym: [OE. clewe, clowe, clue, AS. cleowen, cliwen, clywe ball of thread; akin to D. kluwen, OHG. chliwa, chliuwa, G. dim. kleuel, knäuel, and perch. to L. gluma hull, husk, Skr. glaus sort of ball or tumor. Perch. akin to E. claw. *26. Cf. Knawel.]

1. A ball of thread, yarn, or cord; also, The thread itself. Untwisting his deceitful clew. Spenser.

2. 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. The clew, without which it was perilous to enter the vast and intricate maze of countinental politics, was in his hands. Macaulay.

3. (Naut.) (a.)

Definition: A lower corner of a square sail, or the after corner of a fore- and-aft sail. (b.)

Definition: A loop and thimbles at the corner of a sail. (c.)

Definition: A combination of lines or nettles by which a hammock is suspended. Clew garnet (Naut.), one of the ropes by which the clews of the courses of square-rigged vessels are drawn up to the lower yards.

– Clew line (Naut.), a rope by which a clew of one of the smaller square sails, as topsail, topgallant sail, or royal, is run up to its yard.

– Clew-line block (Naut.), The block through which a clew line reeves. See Illust. of Block.

Clew, v. t. [imp. & p. p. & vb. n. Clewing.] Etym: [Cf. D. kluwenen. See Clew, n.]

1. To direct; to guide, as by a thread. [Obs.] Direct and clew me out the way to happiness. Beau. && Fl.

2. (Naut.)

Definition: To move of draw (a sail or yard) by means of the clew garnets, clew lines, etc.; esp. to draw up the clews of a square sail to the yard. To clew down (Naut.), to force (a yard) down by hauling on the clew lines.

– To clew up (Naut.), to draw (a sail) up to the yard, as for furling.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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