clew
Wound yarn ball
A clew is a ball of thread or yarn—the kind Theseus used to find his way out of the labyrinth.
This sense survives mainly in literary contexts.
The spelling clew also appears as a nautical variant of clue, referring to the lower corner of a sail.
She wound the yarn into a clew.
Coiled length of thread
- ballSpherical plaything or gala
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- woolSheared animal fiber
- threadFiber for stitching
cotton · fiber · winding · spinning · twine · cord · string · hank
Ship's wind-catching fabric
- halyardSail-hoisting tackle
- sheetFlat rectangular material
- riggingRopes controlling ship sails
- hoistRaise with tackle
lower · corner · reef · furl · cleat · line · tackle · fairlead
skein
Coiled length of thread
thread · cotton · fiber · winding · spinning · twine · cord · string · hank · coil
sail
Ship's wind-catching fabric
hoist · lower · corner · reef · furl · cleat · line · tackle · fairlead · deck
Ariadne
Mythical thread-giver
- TheseusAthenian hero, beast-slayer
- minotaurBull-headed humanoid creature
- labyrinthIntricate passage network
maze · Daedalus · Cretan · Knossos · mythology · thread · escape · guide · unwinding · passage
hint
Indirect suggestion
sign · indication · trail · guide · puzzle · solve · mystery · detective · investigation · discovery
- sailboat partsmast, sail, boom, hull, keel
- hammock partsrope, fabric, hooks, straps, spreader bar
- sailmakingsail loft, sailcloth, sailmaker, lofting, canvas work
- stage riggingcounterweight system, counterweight, arbor, batten, battens
- spinnaker gearspinnaker, chute, snuffer, sock, turtle
- wind sportswindsurfing, windsurfer, kitesurfing, kiteboarding, kiteboarder