Cleverish
(Clev"er*ish) a. Somewhat clever. [R.]
Cleverly
(Clev"er*ly), adv. In a clever manner.
Never was man so clever absurd.
C. Smart.
Cleverness
(Clev"er*ness), n. The quality of being clever; skill; dexterity; adroitness.
Syn. — See Ingenuity.
Clevis
(Clev"is) n. [Cf. Cleave to adhere, Clavel.] A piece of metal bent in the form of an oxbow,
with the two ends perforated to receive a pin, used on the end of the tongue of a plow, wagen, etc., to
attach it to a draft chain, whiffletree, etc.; — called also clavel, clevy.
Clew
(Clew Clue), n. [OE. clewe, clowe, clue, AS. cleowen, cliwen, clywe ball of thread; akin to D.
kluwen, OHG. chliwa, chliuwa, G. dim. kleuel, knäuel, and perch. to L. gluma hull, husk, Skr. glaus
sort of ball or tumor. Perch. akin to E. claw. &radic26. Cf. Knawel.]
1. A ball of thread, yarn, or cord; also, The thread itself.
Untwisting his deceitful clew.
Spenser.
2. 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.
The clew, without which it was perilous to enter the vast and intricate maze of countinental politics, was
in his hands.
Macaulay.
3. (Naut.) (a.) A lower corner of a square sail, or the after corner of a fore-and- aft sail. (b.) A loop
and thimbles at the corner of a sail. (c.) A combination of lines or nettles by which a hammock is suspended.
Clew garnet (Naut.),
one of the ropes by which the clews of the courses of square-rigged vessels
are drawn up to the lower yards. — Clew line (Naut.), a rope by which a clew of one of the smaller
square sails, as topsail, topgallant sail, or royal, is run up to its yard. — Clew-line block (Naut.), The
block through which a clew line reeves. See Illust. of Block.
Clew
(Clew), v. t. [imp. & p. p. & vb. n. Clewing.] [Cf. D. kluwenen. See Clew, n.]
1. To direct; to guide, as by a thread. [Obs.]
Direct and clew me out the way to happiness.
Beau. && Fl.
2. (Naut.) 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.
To clew down (Naut.),
to force (a yard) down by hauling on the clew lines. — To clew up (Naut.),
to draw (a sail) up to the yard, as for furling.
Cliché
(||Cli`ché") n. [F. cliché, from clicher to stereotype.] A stereotype plate or any similar reproduction
of ornament, or lettering, in relief.
Cliché casting,
a mode of obtaining an impression from a die or woodcut, or the like, by striking it suddenly
upon metal which has been fused and is just becoming solid; also, the casting so obtained.