furl

¹ American  

[furl] / fɜrl /

verb (used with object)

1. to gather into a compact roll and bind securely, as a sail against a spar or a flag against its staff.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become furled.

noun

1. the act of furling.

2. something furled, as a roll.

idioms

1. furl in the bunt, to furl (a square sail) by gathering canvas upward, so as to load the yard equally at all points.

2. furl in a body, to furl (a square sail) with loose canvas gathered at the mast, so as to make a harbor furl.

furl. ² American  

abbreviation

1. furlough.

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furl British  

/ fɜːl /

verb

1. to roll up (an umbrella, a flag, etc) neatly and securely or (of an umbrella, flag, etc) to be rolled up in this way

2. (tr) nautical to gather in (a square sail)

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noun

1. the act or an instance of furling

2. a single rolled-up section

Other Word Forms

• furlable adjective
• furler noun

Etymology

Origin of furl

1550–60; compare Middle French ferler in same sense, perhaps representing Old French ferlier to chain, fasten, equivalent to fer firm (< Latin firmus ) + lier to bind (< Latin ligāre )

Explanation

To furl is to roll something up, the way you furl your sleeping bag before sliding it into your backpack on a camping trip. Furl comes from roots meaning "to hold firmly" and "to bind." It's frequently used when sailors take down sails and roll them securely: "Furl the main sail! There's a storm brewing!" You can also use it for a leaf or flower that's curled up, as opposed to unfurled: "Those blossoms furl at night and open in the daytime." Or, if you want to show off your vocabulary, you might say: "Let me just furl these burritos and then we can eat."

Example Sentences

Told in rhyming verse, Carroll’s trademark use of deep reds and blue give the proceedings an eerie whimsy, and her layouts — always brilliant — furl and explode across the page.

From The Verge • Dec. 13, 2018

Smith: I go out on the yard to furl the sail and all that stuff.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2017

Of course, don’t furl the flag or shut down those offshore accounts or start writing the complete history of American decline quite yet.

From The Guardian • Apr. 29, 2016

Behind him, shaven-headed demonstrators furl the English flag, the Cross of St. George.

From Time • Jul. 29, 2011

“They furl their sails at double-time, then off they go,” he said, “into the city like mice into grain.”

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk