clew up

verb

(adverb) nautical to furl (a square sail) by gathering its clews up to the yard by means of clew lines

Words Nearby clew up

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use clew up in a sentence

Not a moment was to be lost, so I gave orders to clew up all our canvas and to let go the best bow anchor.
Hurricane Hurry | W.H.G. Kingston
Raise main tack and sheet; man the main clew-garnets, buntlines, and leech-lines; clew up cheerily, lads!
A Middy of the King | Harry Collingwood
In the night we had a heavy squall which obliged us to clew up all our sails and soon after it fell calm.
A Voyage to the South Sea | William Bligh
"If she had any hands aboard, you'd think they'd have sense enough to clew up her courses," the mate answered.
Captain Scraggs | Peter B. Kyne
Their next task was to haul down the smaller staysails, then to clew up and furl royals and topgallantsails.
The Voyage of the Aurora | Harry Collingwood

Browse