unreeve
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to unreeve a rope.
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(of a rope) to become unreeved.
verb
Etymology
Origin of unreeve
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.
See Examples For:
To unreeve the running part of top-sail sheets, &c., to let them run freely, or for harbour duty.
From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher
On examining it he found that he could unreeve some of the rope.
From The Rival Crusoes by William Henry Giles Kingston
We had first to unreeve all the ropes, and unbend all the sails.
From Peter Trawl The Adventures of a Whaler by James Durden
Do you, Walter, make a rope fast round the bits; unreeve the fore halliards, they will suit best, and are new and strong.
From Captain Mugford Our Salt and Fresh Water Tutors by W. Herbert Holloway
"The rope has swollen, sir, and the pendants won't unreeve," cried the middy in agony.
From A Simpleton by Charles Reade
Therefore they unreeved two long lines and attached them to the long-boat, one on each side.
From Library of the World's Best literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 12 by Various
In my next attempt I made sure of not coming by a similar accident, so I unreeved the tackling and fitted up larger blocks and ropes.
From The Coral Island A Tale of the Pacific Ocean by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
As the Forward began to be weather-worn, the masts were unreeved, for they could no longer rely on the variable wind, and the sails were nearly useless in the winding channels.
From The English at the North Pole Part I of the Adventures of Captain Hatteras by Jules Verne
The very manner in which the yards were crossed told as plainly of abandonment as unreeved blocks and slackened rigging betokened a careless indifference of her future.
From Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast by Samuel Adams Drake
Again and again the noose came back unreeved, and again and again the patient boy, with rare strength and skill, flung the ample noose over the slippery spires of ice.
From Adrift in the Ice-Fields by Charles W. Hall
Also, the lug of the cascable is cut open to admit of the bight of the breeching falling into it, thus obviating the loss of time by unreeving.
From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher
At last they could hold out no longer, and Harry, unreeving the rope, descended to the water and brought up a hatful.
From The Young Berringtons The Boy Explorers by William Henry Giles Kingston
All this time, I was busily working, unreeving the port buntline.
From The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson
Run your boat alongside of the capsized one's mast and strip its sail off, unfastening the throat and peak blocks, unreeving the sheet-rope, and cutting the lashings of the sail to the mast-hoops.
From Harper's Round Table, September 3, 1895 by Various
This he conveyed on deck, and, unreeving as much of the running-gear as he could get at, a good long warp was made by bending the whole together end to end.
From The Missing Merchantman by William Heysham Overend
The line, in the shape of the gaff-topsail halliard-fall, hastily unrove for the occasion, was soon forthcoming, and the hook, being at last baited to the second mate’s satisfaction, bent on to the chain.
From The Voyage of the Aurora by Harry Collingwood
In steam vessels, topgallant masts and rigging ready to be sent down and all unnecessary gear unrove.
From Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition. by United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Ordnance
Already a man had unrove the fore-signal-halyards, the sailors raised a shout and the coiled rope was thrown.
From The Tale of Timber Town by Alfred A. (Alfred Augustus) Grace
The topgallant-masts and royal-masts had been sent down; the studding-sail-booms and gear unrove, to lighten the ship as much as possible of all top hamper.
From The South Sea Whaler by William H. C. Groome
At a short distance from the city were moored several large ships, their masts struck, their rigging unrove, deserted by their crews, and some by their officers likewise.
From A Voyage round the World A book for boys by William Henry Giles Kingston
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.
