clew up

verb

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Presently it is “Clew up,” and soon after, “All hands over the side.”

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"Clew up and clew down," was now the order.

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It was not until we had approached him near enough to send a shot whizzing across his bow, that he consented to clew up, and heave to.

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Just where the Strait debouches into the China Sea, we descried, in the midst of a rain-squall, to which we were both obliged to clew up our top-gallant sails, a tall clipper ship, evidently American.

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Immediately afterward, with her crew standing by to clew up the foretopsails, the backstays part and the We're Here's mainmast goes overside, carrying with it Manuel in a tangle of canvas, cable and running gear.