# clew

Pronunciation: say "KLOO" /klu/

## Noun

1. The lower corner of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming, often reinforced with a metal loop or cringle.
   - Simple: The bottom corner of a sail, where a rope is tied to pull it into the right position.
   - _He attached the new sheet to the clew to adjust the sail's angle._
   - _On a triangular jib, the clew is the trailing corner that catches the wind._
2. Yarn or thread used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; by extension, a guide or clue.
   - Simple: Thread used to guide you through a maze and help you find the way back out.
   - _Theseus followed the clew back through the twisting passages of the labyrinth._
   - _He left a clew of thread to mark the path through the dark caverns._
5. The sheets attached to the lower corners of a sail.
   - Simple: The ropes attached to the bottom corners of a sail.
   - _She hauled in the clews as the wind shifted._
   - _Each clew ran back to a cleat near the helm._
6. The cords that suspend a hammock.
   - Simple: The cords that hold up a hammock.
   - _The sailor knotted the clews to the hooks on the beam._
   - _A worn clew can give way under a sleeper's weight._

## Verb

3. To raise the lower corner or corners of a sail.
   - Simple: To pull up the bottom corner of a sail.
   - _Order the crew to clew the topsail at once._
   - _As the gale rose, the sailors clewed up to protect the rigging._
4. To roll or wind something into a ball.
   - Simple: To roll something into a ball.
   - _Spinners clew the fresh yarn for easier storage._
   - _She clewed the twine into a ball and tucked it away._

## Noun

7. A wound ball of thread or yarn. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A ball of thread or yarn wound up together.
   - _She wound the loose strands into a tidy clew._
   - _A clew of woolen yarn sat beside the spinning wheel._
8. A mass or body that is roughly the shape of a ball. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A round lump or body shaped almost like a ball.
   - _The old text described the planet as a vast clew suspended in the heavens._
   - _He gathered the dough into a clew before setting it to bake._
9. Obsolete spelling of clue. *(obsolete)* — Obsolete spelling of clue.
   - Simple: Obsolete spelling of clue. You will only see this old spelling in very old books.

## Origin

From Middle English clewe, from Old English cleowen ("sphere, ball, skein; ball of thread or yarn; mass, group"), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, and ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root *glew- ("to gather into a mass; clump, ball"). It is related to Old English clǣġ ("clay") and is a doublet of knawel.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/clew (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).