Clewed

/kluːd/ verb

Definition

Past tense of clew; to haul up or gather the lower corner of a sail; or (adjective) rolled or gathered at the corners.

Etymology

From clew as a verb, meaning to pull the clew-corner of a sail upward to adjust the sail. A nautical technical term dating back to the Age of Sail.

Kelly Says

Sailors clewed their sails before storms—it's a specific, practiced motion that appears in every sailing adventure novel, making clewed one of the most action-packed nautical verbs ever.

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