I. noun
or clue ˈklü
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English clewe, from Old English cliewen; akin to Old High German kliuwa ball, Old Norse klō claw, Greek ginglymos hinge, Sanskrit glau round lump — more at gall
1. : a ball of thread, yarn, or cord
2. usually clue
a. : the information or key that guides through an intricate procedure or a maze of difficulties
provide a clew through the complex negotiations
b. : the thread of narrative (as in a story) or of thought or argument
c. : a piece of evidence tending to lead one toward the solution of a problem : an indication that properly interpreted may lead to full understanding of something or to the discovery of something unknown or hidden
the flight of birds might furnish a valuable clue to the problem of blind flying — H.G.Armstrong
possess a rough clue as to what the conversation has previously been about — Paul Dehn
3.
a. : a lower corner of a square sail or the after lower corner of a fore-and-aft sail — see sail illustration
b. clews plural : a combination of lines or nettles by which a hammock is suspended
II. transitive verb
or clue “
( clewed or clued ; clewed or clued ; clewing or clueing or cluing ; clews or clues )
1. : to roll into a ball
2. usually clue
a. : to provide with a clue (as to something hidden or unknown)
nothing to clew us to what happened
b. slang : to give reliable information to
clew me on how it works
3.
a. : to haul (a sail) by means of the clew garnets or clew lines up to a yard or mast — used with up
b. : to force (a yard) down by hauling on the clew lines — used with down