furl

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to roll or fold a sail, flag, or similar sheet and secure it

   The crew will furl the sail before the storm arrives.

Simplified etymology

Furl entered English in the late 16th century from French ferler, formed from ferm “firm” and lier “bind.” The verb lier is related to Latin ligare, also meaning “bind.”

Probably from French ferler, ‘to furl a sail,’ whose earlier history is uncertain; it may have been influenced by words meaning ‘fasten’ or ‘bind.’ The English verb is recorded from the late 16th century.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary