the act of furling.
something furled, as a roll.
furl in the bunt, to furl (a square sail) by gathering canvas upward, so as to load the yard equally at all points.
furl in a body, to furl (a square sail) with loose canvas gathered at the mast, so as to make a harbor furl.
to roll up (an umbrella, a flag, etc) neatly and securely or (of an umbrella, flag, etc) to be rolled up in this way
(tr) nautical to gather in (a square sail)
the act or an instance of furling
a single rolled-up section
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 )
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."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The new charges in both counties were filed against Furl John Williams, 24, who police said has no fixed address.
From Washington Post • May 10, 2017
Pressing a button hoisted the mainsail from its Leisure Furl boom.
From Time Magazine Archive
Furl each strip into a tight roll that's easy to handle and bundle it up with a piece of tie-down.
From Time Magazine Archive
Furl it! for the hands that grasped it, And the hearts that fondly clasped it, Cold and dead are lying low; And that Banner—it is trailing!
From Memoirs of Service Afloat, During the War Between the States by Semmes, Raphael
Keep it, widowed, sonless mothers, Keep it, sisters, mourning brothers, Furl it with an iron will; Furl it now, but—keep it still, Think not that its work is done.
From Southern War Songs Camp-Fire, Patriotic and Sentimental by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
