cordelle

American  

[kawr-del] / kɔrˈdɛl /

noun

1. a heavy rope formerly used for towing boats on rivers in Canada and the U.S.

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verb (used with object)

cordelled, cordelling

1. to tow (a boat) by means of a cordelle.

Etymology

Origin of cordelle

1785–95; < French, diminutive of corde cord

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cordelle cordelled cordelling

We would tie up one more night; all hands at the cordelle and the poles, we would reach Mrs. O'Fallon's by noon, in time for dinner.

From The Rose of Old St. Louis by Mary Dillon

Farther up the stream she thought she could discern the party in the yawl, striving to reach shore with the cumbersome cordelle.

From A Dream of Empire Or, The House of Blennerhassett by William Henry Venable

The former is much in the shape of a canal boat, long, slim-built, sharp at each end, and propelled by setting poles and the cordelle or long rope.

From A New Guide for Emigrants to the West by John Mason Peck

With much ado, with poles and cordelle, we made but five miles.

From Scenes and Andventures in the Semi-Alpine Region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

They won up over the sullen rapids of the river which came into the bay, toiling sometimes waist-deep at the cordelle, yet complaining not at all.

From The Mississippi Bubble by Emerson Hough

The boat was cordelled over the rapids, and, with poles and lines, taken as far as the mouth of Kanabec river, where a camp was established.

From Fifty Years In The Northwest With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes by William Henry Carman Folsom

From this point they made a portage and cordelled their boat, and with poles and lines ascended to Snake river.

From Fifty Years In The Northwest With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes by William Henry Carman Folsom

Sometimes the boat was "cordelled," or towed by the men walking on the shore and drawing the barge by a rope held on their shoulders.

From Stories of American Life and Adventure by Edward Eggleston

The next morning early we entered the picturesque Dalles of the St. Croix, then cordelled our boat over Baker's falls, and landed at the village of St. Croix Falls.

From Fifty Years In The Northwest With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes by William Henry Carman Folsom

We paddled and cordelled valiantly, discussing Milk River the while.

From The River and I by John G. Neihardt

I’ve been counting on that old black eagle, all the way up, cordelling from the mouth of the Yellowstone.”

From The Young Alaskans on the Missouri by Emerson Hough

They bade him good-bye at last, and started home, now rowing against the current and now cordelling along the river shore, when they grew tired of rowing.

From The Hoosier School-boy by Edward Eggleston

We had little heart for cordelling, and no paddling could make headway against that gale.

From The River and I by John G. Neihardt

Once in the Ohio, there was no surcease from hard work—poling, paddling, or cordelling, sometimes all three together, to climb the rushing stream.

From The Rose of Old St. Louis by Mary Dillon

The work of rowing and cordelling was hard, but they carried light and hopeful hearts.

From The Hoosier School-boy by Edward Eggleston