"clew" meaning in English

See clew in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /kluː/, /kluʊ̯/, /kljuː/ [obsolete] Forms: clews [plural]
Rhymes: -uː Etymology: From Middle English clewe, from Old English cleowen, cliewen, cliwen (“sphere, ball, skein; ball of thread or yarn; mass, group”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, *klewô (“ball, bale”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”). Akin to Old English clǣġ (“clay”). Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*glew-}}, {{inh|en|enm|clewe}} Middle English clewe, {{inh|en|ang|cleowen}} Old English cleowen, {{inh|en|gem-pro|*kliuwiną}} Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, {{der|en|ine-pro|*glew-||to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale}} Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”), {{cog|ang|clǣġ||clay}} Old English clǣġ (“clay”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} clew (plural clews)
  1. (obsolete) A roughly spherical mass or body. Tags: obsolete Translations (roughly spherical mass or body): кълбо (kǎlbo) (Bulgarian), kerä (Finnish), pallero (Finnish), ceirtlín [masculine] (Irish)
    Sense id: en-clew-en-noun-mDIn1KCi Disambiguation of 'roughly spherical mass or body': 98 0 1 0 0 0 0
  2. (archaic) A ball of thread or yarn. Tags: archaic Translations (ball of thread): клубо́к (klubók) [masculine] (Belarusian), кълбо (kǎlbo) [neuter] (Bulgarian), lankakerä (Finnish), kerä (Finnish), Knäuel [masculine, neuter] (German), μίτος (mítos) [masculine] (Greek), gombolyag (Hungarian), ceirtlín [masculine] (Irish), 꾸리 (kkuri) (Korean), 꾸러미 (kkureomi) (Korean), nøste [neuter] (Norwegian Bokmål), یوماق (yumak) (Ottoman Turkish), ਪਿੰਨਾ (pinnā) [masculine] (Punjabi), клубо́к (klubók) [masculine] (Russian), мото́к (motók) [masculine] (Russian), nystan [neuter] (Swedish), yumak (Turkish), клубо́к (klubók) [masculine] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-clew-en-noun-en:yarn Disambiguation of 'ball of thread': 0 88 12 0 0 0 0
  3. Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue. Derived forms (thread used to guide through a maze, clue): clewless Translations (yarn used to guide one's way through a maze, clue): johtolanka (Finnish), ariadnetråd [masculine] (Norwegian Bokmål), ledetråd [masculine] (Norwegian Bokmål)
    Sense id: en-clew-en-noun-s1uo9POO Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Belarusian translations, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Irish translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Korean translations, Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations, Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations, Terms with Punjabi translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations, Terms with Ukrainian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 3 36 28 2 18 6 3 3 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 1 3 28 22 3 15 6 3 4 6 8 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 2 4 32 23 3 16 5 4 4 4 4 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 2 36 27 2 18 3 2 3 2 2 Disambiguation of Terms with Belarusian translations: 4 7 33 23 5 12 9 4 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 3 6 32 23 4 11 13 3 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 3 6 31 24 4 12 12 3 4 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 3 5 32 25 5 13 7 4 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 3 5 30 22 7 12 9 7 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 5 5 30 23 6 10 13 5 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Irish translations: 3 6 30 23 4 14 12 3 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Korean translations: 4 6 31 23 5 12 12 3 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations: 4 7 31 22 5 11 13 4 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations: 4 12 33 18 5 9 13 3 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Punjabi translations: 4 6 31 23 5 12 12 3 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 3 6 32 24 4 12 12 3 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 3 6 32 24 4 12 12 3 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Ukrainian translations: 4 6 31 23 5 12 12 3 4 Disambiguation of 'thread used to guide through a maze, clue': 1 5 77 1 1 2 13 Disambiguation of "yarn used to guide one's way through a maze, clue": 1 9 74 5 1 4 7
  4. (nautical) The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. (on a triangular sail) The trailing corner relative to the wind direction. Categories (topical): Nautical Derived forms (lower corner of a sail, metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail): clewline, full clew Coordinate_terms (lower corner of a sail): bunt Translations (nautical: sail corner): skuuttikulma (Finnish), bugna (Italian), دامن (daman) (Ottoman Turkish), шко́товый у́гол па́руса (škótovyj úgol párusa) [masculine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-clew-en-noun-YuUkVZEb Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 1 4 25 39 4 13 5 4 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5 Topics: nautical, transport Disambiguation of 'lower corner of a sail, metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail': 0 2 2 77 16 2 1 Disambiguation of 'lower corner of a sail': 0 0 0 69 30 0 0 Disambiguation of 'nautical: sail corner': 0 6 4 56 20 13 0
  5. (in the plural) The sheets so attached to a sail. Tags: in-plural
    Sense id: en-clew-en-noun-DohnjIE9
  6. (nautical, in the plural) The cords suspending a hammock. Tags: in-plural Categories (topical): Nautical Translations (nautical: cords suspending a hammock): kiinnitysnarut [plural] (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-clew-en-noun-d~HuR6Od Categories (other): Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5 Topics: nautical, transport Disambiguation of 'nautical: cords suspending a hammock': 0 3 12 11 2 70 3
  7. Obsolete spelling of clue. Tags: alt-of, obsolete Alternative form of: clue
    Sense id: en-clew-en-noun-6FKCoXKG
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Translations (nautical: sheet attached to this sail corner): skuutti (Finnish)
Disambiguation of 'nautical: sheet attached to this sail corner': 1 4 8 40 35 8 5

Verb

IPA: /kluː/, /kluʊ̯/, /kljuː/ [obsolete] Forms: clews [present, singular, third-person], clewing [participle, present], clewed [participle, past], clewed [past]
Rhymes: -uː Etymology: From Middle English clewe, from Old English cleowen, cliewen, cliwen (“sphere, ball, skein; ball of thread or yarn; mass, group”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, *klewô (“ball, bale”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”). Akin to Old English clǣġ (“clay”). Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*glew-}}, {{inh|en|enm|clewe}} Middle English clewe, {{inh|en|ang|cleowen}} Old English cleowen, {{inh|en|gem-pro|*kliuwiną}} Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, {{der|en|ine-pro|*glew-||to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale}} Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”), {{cog|ang|clǣġ||clay}} Old English clǣġ (“clay”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} clew (third-person singular simple present clews, present participle clewing, simple past and past participle clewed)
  1. (transitive) to roll into a ball Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-clew-en-verb-q732OU1L
  2. (nautical, transitive, intransitive) to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail) Tags: intransitive, transitive Categories (topical): Nautical
    Sense id: en-clew-en-verb-eeX-OdNZ Topics: nautical, transport
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: clew down, clew up, unclew Related terms: clew-garnet, clef, clue

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*glew-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "clewe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English clewe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "cleowen"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cleowen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*kliuwiną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*glew-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "clǣġ",
        "3": "",
        "4": "clay"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English clǣġ (“clay”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English clewe, from Old English cleowen, cliewen, cliwen (“sphere, ball, skein; ball of thread or yarn; mass, group”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, *klewô (“ball, bale”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”). Akin to Old English clǣġ (“clay”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "clews",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "clew (plural clews)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1600, Charles Estienne and Jean Liebault, tr. Richard Surflet, Maison Rustique, or, The Countrie Farme",
          "text": "If the whole troupe be diuided into many clewes, or round bunches, you need not then doubt but that there are many kings."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1796, J[ohn] G[abriel] Stedman, chapter VII, in Narrative of a Five Years’ Expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the Wild Coast of South America; […], volume I, London: J[oseph] Johnson, […], and J. Edwards, […], →OCLC, page 153:",
          "text": "Both theſe creatures [the \"ai\" (aye-aye?) and \"unan\"], by forming themſelves in a clew, have often more the appearance of excreſcences in the bark, than that of animals.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A roughly spherical mass or body."
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-noun-mDIn1KCi",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) A roughly spherical mass or body."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "98 0 1 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "kǎlbo",
          "sense": "roughly spherical mass or body",
          "word": "кълбо"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 0 1 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "roughly spherical mass or body",
          "word": "kerä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 0 1 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "roughly spherical mass or body",
          "word": "pallero"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 0 1 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "roughly spherical mass or body",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ceirtlín"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 234, column 1:",
          "text": "[O]nely ſinne\nAnd helliſh obſtinacie tye thy tongue\nThat truth ſhould be ſuſpected, ſpeake, iſ't ſo?\nIf it be ſo, you haue wound a goodly clewe:\nIf it be not, forſweare't how ere I charge thee,\nAs heauen ſhall work in me for thine auaile\nTo tell me truelie.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1831, Victor Hugo, translated by Isabel Florence Hapgood, The Hunchback of Notre Dame:",
          "text": "A rare, precious, and never interrupted race of philosophers to whom wisdom, like another Ariadne, seems to have given a clew of thread which they have been walking along unwinding since the beginning of the world, through the labyrinth of human affairs.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1889, Andrew Lang, “The story of Prince Ahmed and the fairy Paribanou”, in The Blue Fairy Book:",
          "text": "The Fairy Paribanou was at that time very hard at work, and, as she had several clews of thread by her, she took up one, and, presenting it to Prince Ahmed, said: \"First take this clew of thread...",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1962, Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire:",
          "text": "on one side of her lay a pair of carpet slippers and on the other a ball of red wool, the leading filament of which she would tug at every now and then with the immemorial elbow jerk of a Zemblan knitter to give a turn to her yarn clew and slacken the thread.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A ball of thread or yarn."
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-noun-en:yarn",
      "links": [
        [
          "thread",
          "thread"
        ],
        [
          "yarn",
          "yarn"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) A ball of thread or yarn."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:yarn"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "klubók",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "клубо́к"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "kǎlbo",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "кълбо"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "word": "lankakerä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "word": "kerä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Knäuel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "mítos",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "μίτος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "word": "gombolyag"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ceirtlín"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "kkuri",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "word": "꾸리"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "kkureomi",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "word": "꾸러미"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "nøste"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "ota",
          "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
          "roman": "yumak",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "word": "یوماق"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "pa",
          "lang": "Punjabi",
          "roman": "pinnā",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ਪਿੰਨਾ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "klubók",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "клубо́к"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "motók",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мото́к"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "nystan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "word": "yumak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 88 12 0 0 0 0",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "klubók",
          "sense": "ball of thread",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "клубо́к"
        }
      ]
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        {
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        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 5 77 1 1 2 13",
          "sense": "thread used to guide through a maze, clue",
          "word": "clewless"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue."
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-noun-s1uo9POO",
      "links": [
        [
          "Yarn",
          "yarn"
        ],
        [
          "thread",
          "thread"
        ],
        [
          "maze",
          "maze"
        ],
        [
          "labyrinth",
          "labyrinth"
        ],
        [
          "clue",
          "clue"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 9 74 5 1 4 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "yarn used to guide one's way through a maze, clue",
          "word": "johtolanka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 9 74 5 1 4 7",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "yarn used to guide one's way through a maze, clue",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ariadnetråd"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 9 74 5 1 4 7",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "yarn used to guide one's way through a maze, clue",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ledetråd"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 4 25 39 4 13 5 4 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 69 30 0 0",
          "sense": "lower corner of a sail",
          "word": "bunt"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 2 2 77 16 2 1",
          "sense": "lower corner of a sail, metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail",
          "word": "clewline"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 2 2 77 16 2 1",
          "sense": "lower corner of a sail, metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail",
          "word": "full clew"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1858, Walter Mitchell, Tacking Ship Off Shore:",
          "text": "'Mid the rattle of blocks and the tramp of the crew,\nHisses the rain of the rushing squall;\nThe sails are aback from clew to clew,\nAnd now is the moment for \"MAINSAIL, HAUL!\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1858, The Atlantic Monthly, \"The Language of the Sea\"",
          "text": "\"Clew\" is Saxon; \"garnet\" (from granato, a fruit) is Italian,—that is, the garnet- or pomegranate-shaped block fastened to the clew or corner of the courses, and hence the rope running through the block."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1894, James Hudson Taylor, A Retrospect:",
          "text": "I went over and asked him to let down the clews or corners of the mainsail, which had been drawn up in order to lessen the useless flapping of the sail against the rigging.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1901, John Conroy Hutcheson, The Ghost Ship:",
          "text": "\"Run aft, Haldane, and you too, Spokeshave. Loosen the bunt of the mizzen-trysail and haul at the clew. That’ll bring her up to the wind fast enough, if the sail only stands it!\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. (on a triangular sail) The trailing corner relative to the wind direction."
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-noun-YuUkVZEb",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "lower",
          "lower"
        ],
        [
          "corner",
          "corner"
        ],
        [
          "sail",
          "sail"
        ],
        [
          "sheet",
          "sheet"
        ],
        [
          "trimming",
          "trimming"
        ],
        [
          "metal",
          "metal"
        ],
        [
          "loop",
          "loop"
        ],
        [
          "cringle",
          "cringle"
        ],
        [
          "trail",
          "trail"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical) The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. (on a triangular sail) The trailing corner relative to the wind direction."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 6 4 56 20 13 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "nautical: sail corner",
          "word": "skuuttikulma"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 6 4 56 20 13 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "nautical: sail corner",
          "word": "bugna"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 6 4 56 20 13 0",
          "code": "ota",
          "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
          "roman": "daman",
          "sense": "nautical: sail corner",
          "word": "دامن"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 6 4 56 20 13 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "škótovyj úgol párusa",
          "sense": "nautical: sail corner",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "шко́товый у́гол па́руса"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1913, John Masefield, Dauber:",
          "text": "The canvas running up in a proud sweep,\nWind-wrinkled at the clews, and white like lint,",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The sheets so attached to a sail."
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-noun-DohnjIE9",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(in the plural) The sheets so attached to a sail."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "in-plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 5 32 27 4 14 6 4 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2000, Ralph W Danklefsen, The Navy I Remember, Xlibris, page 21:",
          "text": "He taught us how to attach the clews to the ends of the hammock and then lash it between jack stays.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The cords suspending a hammock."
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-noun-d~HuR6Od",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "cord",
          "cord"
        ],
        [
          "suspend",
          "suspend"
        ],
        [
          "hammock",
          "hammock"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical, in the plural) The cords suspending a hammock."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "in-plural"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 3 12 11 2 70 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "nautical: cords suspending a hammock",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "kiinnitysnarut"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "clue"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1766, Laurence Sterne, The Sermons of Mr. Yorick:",
          "text": "With this clew, let us endeavour to unravel this character of Herod as here given.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1841 March, Edgar A[llan] Poe, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, in George R[ex] Graham, Rufus W[ilmot] Griswold, editors, Graham’s Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine. […], volume XVIII, number 4, Philadelphia, Pa.: George R. Graham, published April 1841, →OCLC, page 169, column 2:",
          "text": "To this horrible mystery there is not as yet, we believe, the slightest clew.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume III,1856, New York: Harper & Brothers, page 13:",
          "text": "The clew, without which it was perilous to enter the vast and intricate maze of Continental politics, was in his hands.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1864, Andrew Forrester, The Female Detective:",
          "text": "Now, the fact is, I had started because I thought I saw the end of a good clew.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1870, Edward Augustus Freeman, History of the Norman Conquest:",
          "text": "We may here have lighted on the clew to the great puzzle.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1910, “Duck Eats Yeast,”, in The Yakima Herald:",
          "text": "Telltale marks around the pan of yeast gave him a clew to the trouble.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1912 February–July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Under the Moons of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as “A Fight that Won Friends”, in A Princess of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., 1917 October, →OCLC, page 59:",
          "text": "They had followed immediately behind him, thinking it barely possible that his actions might prove a clew to my whereabouts, and had witnessed my short but decisive battle with him.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1923, Robert Ervin Howard, Aha! or The Mystery of the Queen's Necklace:",
          "text": "And I brought the only clew to be found.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1926, Robertus Love, The Rise and Fall of Jesse James, University of Nebraska, published 1990:",
          "text": "Not often did Jesse James leave a clew to his identity when he galloped away from a crime of violence, back into the mysterious Nowhere whence he came.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1954, Robert Heinlein, The Star Beast, New English Library:",
          "text": "following the single clew that she must have gone off with a certain group of visitors from space; they knew what those visitors looked like but not from what part of the sky they came.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Obsolete spelling of clue."
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-noun-6FKCoXKG",
      "links": [
        [
          "clue",
          "clue#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kluː/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kluʊ̯/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kljuː/",
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uː"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "clue"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "clou"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "_dis1": "1 4 8 40 35 8 5",
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "nautical: sheet attached to this sail corner",
      "word": "skuutti"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:clew"
  ],
  "word": "clew"
}

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "clew down"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "clew up"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "unclew"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*glew-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "clewe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English clewe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "cleowen"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cleowen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*kliuwiną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*glew-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "clǣġ",
        "3": "",
        "4": "clay"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English clǣġ (“clay”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English clewe, from Old English cleowen, cliewen, cliwen (“sphere, ball, skein; ball of thread or yarn; mass, group”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, *klewô (“ball, bale”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”). Akin to Old English clǣġ (“clay”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "clews",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clewing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clewed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clewed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "clew (third-person singular simple present clews, present participle clewing, simple past and past participle clewed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "clew-garnet"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "clef"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "clue"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "to roll into a ball"
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-verb-q732OU1L",
      "links": [
        [
          "roll",
          "roll"
        ],
        [
          "ball",
          "ball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) to roll into a ball"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail)"
      ],
      "id": "en-clew-en-verb-eeX-OdNZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "raise",
          "raise"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical, transitive, intransitive) to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kluː/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kluʊ̯/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kljuː/",
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uː"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "clue"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "clou"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:clew"
  ],
  "word": "clew"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *glew-",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/uː",
    "Rhymes:English/uː/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Belarusian translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
    "Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Punjabi translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "sense": "lower corner of a sail",
      "word": "bunt"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "sense": "lower corner of a sail, metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail",
      "word": "clewline"
    },
    {
      "sense": "lower corner of a sail, metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail",
      "word": "full clew"
    },
    {
      "sense": "thread used to guide through a maze, clue",
      "word": "clewless"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*glew-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "clewe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English clewe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "cleowen"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cleowen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*kliuwiną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*glew-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "clǣġ",
        "3": "",
        "4": "clay"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English clǣġ (“clay”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English clewe, from Old English cleowen, cliewen, cliwen (“sphere, ball, skein; ball of thread or yarn; mass, group”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, *klewô (“ball, bale”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”). Akin to Old English clǣġ (“clay”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "clews",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "clew (plural clews)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1600, Charles Estienne and Jean Liebault, tr. Richard Surflet, Maison Rustique, or, The Countrie Farme",
          "text": "If the whole troupe be diuided into many clewes, or round bunches, you need not then doubt but that there are many kings."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1796, J[ohn] G[abriel] Stedman, chapter VII, in Narrative of a Five Years’ Expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the Wild Coast of South America; […], volume I, London: J[oseph] Johnson, […], and J. Edwards, […], →OCLC, page 153:",
          "text": "Both theſe creatures [the \"ai\" (aye-aye?) and \"unan\"], by forming themſelves in a clew, have often more the appearance of excreſcences in the bark, than that of animals.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A roughly spherical mass or body."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) A roughly spherical mass or body."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 234, column 1:",
          "text": "[O]nely ſinne\nAnd helliſh obſtinacie tye thy tongue\nThat truth ſhould be ſuſpected, ſpeake, iſ't ſo?\nIf it be ſo, you haue wound a goodly clewe:\nIf it be not, forſweare't how ere I charge thee,\nAs heauen ſhall work in me for thine auaile\nTo tell me truelie.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1831, Victor Hugo, translated by Isabel Florence Hapgood, The Hunchback of Notre Dame:",
          "text": "A rare, precious, and never interrupted race of philosophers to whom wisdom, like another Ariadne, seems to have given a clew of thread which they have been walking along unwinding since the beginning of the world, through the labyrinth of human affairs.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1889, Andrew Lang, “The story of Prince Ahmed and the fairy Paribanou”, in The Blue Fairy Book:",
          "text": "The Fairy Paribanou was at that time very hard at work, and, as she had several clews of thread by her, she took up one, and, presenting it to Prince Ahmed, said: \"First take this clew of thread...",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1962, Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire:",
          "text": "on one side of her lay a pair of carpet slippers and on the other a ball of red wool, the leading filament of which she would tug at every now and then with the immemorial elbow jerk of a Zemblan knitter to give a turn to her yarn clew and slacken the thread.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A ball of thread or yarn."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "thread",
          "thread"
        ],
        [
          "yarn",
          "yarn"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) A ball of thread or yarn."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:yarn"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Yarn",
          "yarn"
        ],
        [
          "thread",
          "thread"
        ],
        [
          "maze",
          "maze"
        ],
        [
          "labyrinth",
          "labyrinth"
        ],
        [
          "clue",
          "clue"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1858, Walter Mitchell, Tacking Ship Off Shore:",
          "text": "'Mid the rattle of blocks and the tramp of the crew,\nHisses the rain of the rushing squall;\nThe sails are aback from clew to clew,\nAnd now is the moment for \"MAINSAIL, HAUL!\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1858, The Atlantic Monthly, \"The Language of the Sea\"",
          "text": "\"Clew\" is Saxon; \"garnet\" (from granato, a fruit) is Italian,—that is, the garnet- or pomegranate-shaped block fastened to the clew or corner of the courses, and hence the rope running through the block."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1894, James Hudson Taylor, A Retrospect:",
          "text": "I went over and asked him to let down the clews or corners of the mainsail, which had been drawn up in order to lessen the useless flapping of the sail against the rigging.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1901, John Conroy Hutcheson, The Ghost Ship:",
          "text": "\"Run aft, Haldane, and you too, Spokeshave. Loosen the bunt of the mizzen-trysail and haul at the clew. That’ll bring her up to the wind fast enough, if the sail only stands it!\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. (on a triangular sail) The trailing corner relative to the wind direction."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "lower",
          "lower"
        ],
        [
          "corner",
          "corner"
        ],
        [
          "sail",
          "sail"
        ],
        [
          "sheet",
          "sheet"
        ],
        [
          "trimming",
          "trimming"
        ],
        [
          "metal",
          "metal"
        ],
        [
          "loop",
          "loop"
        ],
        [
          "cringle",
          "cringle"
        ],
        [
          "trail",
          "trail"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical) The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. (on a triangular sail) The trailing corner relative to the wind direction."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1913, John Masefield, Dauber:",
          "text": "The canvas running up in a proud sweep,\nWind-wrinkled at the clews, and white like lint,",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The sheets so attached to a sail."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(in the plural) The sheets so attached to a sail."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "in-plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2000, Ralph W Danklefsen, The Navy I Remember, Xlibris, page 21:",
          "text": "He taught us how to attach the clews to the ends of the hammock and then lash it between jack stays.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The cords suspending a hammock."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "cord",
          "cord"
        ],
        [
          "suspend",
          "suspend"
        ],
        [
          "hammock",
          "hammock"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical, in the plural) The cords suspending a hammock."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "in-plural"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "clue"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English obsolete forms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1766, Laurence Sterne, The Sermons of Mr. Yorick:",
          "text": "With this clew, let us endeavour to unravel this character of Herod as here given.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1841 March, Edgar A[llan] Poe, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, in George R[ex] Graham, Rufus W[ilmot] Griswold, editors, Graham’s Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine. […], volume XVIII, number 4, Philadelphia, Pa.: George R. Graham, published April 1841, →OCLC, page 169, column 2:",
          "text": "To this horrible mystery there is not as yet, we believe, the slightest clew.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume III,1856, New York: Harper & Brothers, page 13:",
          "text": "The clew, without which it was perilous to enter the vast and intricate maze of Continental politics, was in his hands.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1864, Andrew Forrester, The Female Detective:",
          "text": "Now, the fact is, I had started because I thought I saw the end of a good clew.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1870, Edward Augustus Freeman, History of the Norman Conquest:",
          "text": "We may here have lighted on the clew to the great puzzle.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1910, “Duck Eats Yeast,”, in The Yakima Herald:",
          "text": "Telltale marks around the pan of yeast gave him a clew to the trouble.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1912 February–July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Under the Moons of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as “A Fight that Won Friends”, in A Princess of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., 1917 October, →OCLC, page 59:",
          "text": "They had followed immediately behind him, thinking it barely possible that his actions might prove a clew to my whereabouts, and had witnessed my short but decisive battle with him.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1923, Robert Ervin Howard, Aha! or The Mystery of the Queen's Necklace:",
          "text": "And I brought the only clew to be found.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1926, Robertus Love, The Rise and Fall of Jesse James, University of Nebraska, published 1990:",
          "text": "Not often did Jesse James leave a clew to his identity when he galloped away from a crime of violence, back into the mysterious Nowhere whence he came.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1954, Robert Heinlein, The Star Beast, New English Library:",
          "text": "following the single clew that she must have gone off with a certain group of visitors from space; they knew what those visitors looked like but not from what part of the sky they came.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Obsolete spelling of clue."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "clue",
          "clue#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kluː/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kluʊ̯/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kljuː/",
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uː"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "clue"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "clou"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "kǎlbo",
      "sense": "roughly spherical mass or body",
      "word": "кълбо"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "roughly spherical mass or body",
      "word": "kerä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "roughly spherical mass or body",
      "word": "pallero"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "roughly spherical mass or body",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ceirtlín"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "klubók",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "клубо́к"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "kǎlbo",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "кълбо"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "word": "lankakerä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "word": "kerä"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Knäuel"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "mítos",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "μίτος"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "word": "gombolyag"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ceirtlín"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "kkuri",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "word": "꾸리"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "kkureomi",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "word": "꾸러미"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "nøste"
    },
    {
      "code": "ota",
      "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
      "roman": "yumak",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "word": "یوماق"
    },
    {
      "code": "pa",
      "lang": "Punjabi",
      "roman": "pinnā",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ਪਿੰਨਾ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "klubók",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "клубо́к"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "motók",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мото́к"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "nystan"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "word": "yumak"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "klubók",
      "sense": "ball of thread",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "клубо́к"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "yarn used to guide one's way through a maze, clue",
      "word": "johtolanka"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "yarn used to guide one's way through a maze, clue",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ariadnetråd"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "yarn used to guide one's way through a maze, clue",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ledetråd"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "nautical: sail corner",
      "word": "skuuttikulma"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "nautical: sail corner",
      "word": "bugna"
    },
    {
      "code": "ota",
      "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
      "roman": "daman",
      "sense": "nautical: sail corner",
      "word": "دامن"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "škótovyj úgol párusa",
      "sense": "nautical: sail corner",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "шко́товый у́гол па́руса"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "nautical: sheet attached to this sail corner",
      "word": "skuutti"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "nautical: cords suspending a hammock",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "kiinnitysnarut"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:clew"
  ],
  "word": "clew"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *glew-",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/uː",
    "Rhymes:English/uː/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Belarusian translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
    "Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Punjabi translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "clew down"
    },
    {
      "word": "clew up"
    },
    {
      "word": "unclew"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*glew-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "clewe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English clewe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "cleowen"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cleowen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*kliuwiną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*glew-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "clǣġ",
        "3": "",
        "4": "clay"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English clǣġ (“clay”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English clewe, from Old English cleowen, cliewen, cliwen (“sphere, ball, skein; ball of thread or yarn; mass, group”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwiną, *klewô (“ball, bale”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to conglomerate, gather into a mass; clump, ball, bale”). Akin to Old English clǣġ (“clay”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "clews",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clewing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clewed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clewed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "clew (third-person singular simple present clews, present participle clewing, simple past and past participle clewed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "clew-garnet"
    },
    {
      "word": "clef"
    },
    {
      "word": "clue"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to roll into a ball"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "roll",
          "roll"
        ],
        [
          "ball",
          "ball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) to roll into a ball"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "raise",
          "raise"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical, transitive, intransitive) to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kluː/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kluʊ̯/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kljuː/",
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uː"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "clue"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "clou"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:clew"
  ],
  "word": "clew"
}

Download raw JSONL data for clew meaning in English (19.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-28 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-11-21 using wiktextract (65a6e81 and 0dbea76). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.