Meaning

(obsolete) A roughly spherical mass or body..

Definitions by Sense

1. (obsolete) A roughly spherical mass or body.
2. (archaic) A ball of thread or yarn.
3. Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue.
4. (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.
5. (in the plural) The sheets so attached to a sail.
6. (nautical, in the plural) The cords suspending a hammock.
7. Archaic spelling of clue.
8. (transitive) to roll into a ball

Example Sentences

If the whole troupe be diuided into many clewes, or round bunches, you need not then doubt but that there are many kings.

Both theſe creatures [the "ai" (aye-aye?) and "unan"], by forming themſelves in a clew, have often more the appearance of excreſcences in the bark, than that of animals.

[O]nely ſinne And helliſh obſtinacie tye thy tongue That truth ſhould be ſuſpected, ſpeake, iſ't ſo? If it be ſo, you haue wound a goodly clewe: If it be not, forſweare't how ere I charge thee, As heauen ſhall work in me for thine auaile To tell me truelie.

A rare, precious, and never interrupted race of philosophers to whom wisdom, like another Ariadne, seems to have given a clew of thread which they have been walking along unwinding since the beginning of the world, through the labyrinth of human affairs.

The Fairy Paribanou was at that time very hard at work, and, as she had several clews of thread by her, she took up one, and, presenting it to Prince Ahmed, said: "First take this clew of thread...

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.

"Clew" is Saxon; "garnet" (from granato, a fruit) is Italian,—that is, the garnet- or pomegranate-shaped block fastened to the clew or corner of the courses, and hence the rope running through the block.

'Mid the rattle of blocks and the tramp of the crew, Hisses the rain of the rushing squall; The sails are aback from clew to clew, And now is the moment for "MAINSAIL, HAUL!"

Word Forms

• clews
• clewing
• clewed

Synonyms for clew

Related Words

When Should You Use Clew?

Use clew when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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