clew

1. n. Alt. of Clue Source: opted

2. n. To direct; to guide, as by a thread. Source: opted

3. n. 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. Source: opted

4. n. a ball of yarn or cord or thread Source: wordnet

5. n. evidence that helps to solve a problem Source: wordnet

6. v. roll into a ball Source: wordnet

7. 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.) A lower corner of a square sail, or the after corner of a fore- and-aft sail. (b.) A loop and thimbles at the corner of a sail. (c.) 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. 1. To direct; to guide, as by a thread. [Obs.] Direct and clew me out the way to happiness. Beau. && Fl. 2. (Naut.) 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

8. 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 theyard. To clew down (Naut.), to force (a yard) down by hauling on theclew lines.-- To clew up (Naut.), to draw (a sail) up to the yard, as forfurling. Source: adambom

9. n. a ball of yarn or cord or thread Source: ecdict

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