Past tense of furl; rolled or folded something tightly, especially a sail, flag, or umbrella.
From Old French 'fuirler,' combining 'fuer' (to turn) and 'rouler' (to roll). The word entered English in the 15th century referring to the nautical practice of rolling sails to manage a ship's movement.
Sailors developed this vocabulary because ship control was literally about life and death—knowing the exact word for each sail position meant everyone understood instructions instantly in storms, no confusion allowed!
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