clew

clew ¹  (kl)

n.

1. A ball of yarn or thread.

2. Greek Mythology The ball of thread used by Theseus to find his way out of the labyrinth.

3. clews The cords by which a hammock is suspended.

4. also clue Nautical

a. One of the two lower corners of a square sail.

b. The lower aft corner of a fore-and-aft sail.

c. A metal loop attached to the lower corner of a sail.

tr.v. clewed, clew·ing, clews

1. To roll or coil into a ball.

2. also clue Nautical To raise the lower corners of (a square sail) by means of clew lines. Used with up.

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[Middle English clewe, from Old English cliwen.]

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clew ²  (kl)

n. & v. Chiefly British

Variant of clue¹.

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clew [kluː]

n

1. a ball of thread, yarn, or twine

2. (Transport / Nautical Terms) Nautical either of the lower corners of a square sail or the after lower corner of a fore-and-aft sail

3. (Transport / Nautical Terms) (usually plural) the rigging of a hammock

4. a rare variant of clue

vb

(tr) to coil or roll into a ball

[Old English cliewen (vb); related to Old High German kliu ball]

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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.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	clew - a ball of yarn or cord or thread chunk, clod, glob, lump, clump, ball - a compact mass; "a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder"
	2.	clew - evidence that helps to solve a problem clue, cue evidence - an indication that makes something evident; "his trembling was evidence of his fear" sign, mark - a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened); "he showed signs of strain"; "they welcomed the signs of spring"
Verb	1.	clew - roll into a ball clue twine, wrap, wind, roll - arrange or or coil around; "roll your hair around your finger"; "Twine the thread around the spool"; "She wrapped her arms around the child"

Translations

clew

n

(of thread) → Knäuel nt

(Naut, of sail) → Schothorn nt; (of hammock) → Schlaufe f

= clue

vt

thread → aufwickeln

(Naut) to clew (up) → aufgeien