[f. prec. sb.]
1. trans. To coil up into a ball.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 885. Þis blessud mayde clewȝthe up her leggus herre to.
1818. Scott, Leg. Montr., xiii. To lie … clew’d up like a hurchin.
1860. Mayne Reid, Quadrupeds (1868), 165. The power of clueing themselves up à la hedgehog.
2. To point out as by a clew or clue.
a. 1625. Beaum. & Fl., Wom. Pleased, II. v. A woman might awake me, Direct, and clew me out the way to happinesse.
3. To follow or track as by a clew or clue.
1663. Flagellum; or Oliver Cromwell (1672), 175. We have through these Labyrinths of his shifted Designs, now clued him to his lustful and adulterous Usurpation.
4. Naut. To clew up: to draw the lower ends or clews (of sails) up to the upper yard or the mast in preparation for furling or for making ‘goose-wings.’ To clew down: to let down (sails) by the clews in unfurling them. Also absol.
α. 1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 346. We with all manner of Expedition clew’d up and furl’d her other Sails.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge (1863), 161. We found it necessary to clew up every thing but the close reefed fore sail.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, v. 9. We had hardly time to haul down and clew up before it was upon us. Ibid. We clewed down, and hauled out the reef-tackles again.
β. 1762. Falconer, Shipwr., II. 92. Clued-up each top-sail, and by braces squared.
1806. A. Duncan, Nelson, 75. The sails were all clued up.
b. fig. Cf. ‘wind up.’
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Introd. 5. An afflicting malady … which … closed his valuable life, and clued up our arrangements.
Clew, -e, obs. pa. t. of CLAW v.
Clewe, = cleue, obs. form of CLEAVE, CLEVE1.
