Alew vs. Clew

Alewnoun

A cry of despair.

Alewnoun

Halloo.

Clewnoun

(obsolete) A roughly spherical mass or body.

Clewnoun

(archaic) A ball of thread or yarn.

Clewnoun

Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue.

Clewnoun

(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.

Clewnoun

(in the plural) The sheets so attached to a sail.

Clewnoun

The cords suspending a hammock.

Clewverb

(transitive) to roll into a ball

Clewverb

(nautical) (transitive and intransitive) to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail)

Clewnoun

A ball of thread, yarn, or cord; also, The thread itself.

Clewnoun

That which guides or directs one in anything of a doubtful or intricate nature; that which gives a hint in the solution of a mystery.

Clewnoun

A lower corner of a square sail, or the after corner of a fore-and-aft sail.

Clewverb

To direct; to guide, as by a thread.

Clewverb

To move of draw (a sail or yard) by means of the clew garnets, clew lines, etc.; esp. to draw up the clews of a square sail to the yard.

Clewnoun

a ball of yarn or cord or thread

Clewnoun

evidence that helps to solve a problem

Clewverb

roll into a ball