Meaning
A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
Variant of clew (“a ball of thread or yarn”), from Middle English clew, clewe, clowe, clue, clwe, clyw, clywe, from Old English clēowen, clīewen, clīowen, clīwen, clȳwe, clȳwen (“ball, sphere; skein”), from Proto-West Germanic *kliuwīn (“ball, clump”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwīną, *klewô (“bale, ball, clump, mass”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to ball up, clump together; lump, swelling”). Sense evolution with reference to the one which the mythical Theseus used to guide him out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. More at clew. Cognates Cognate with Cimbrian khnaul (“ball of yarn”), Dutch kluwe, kluwen (“ball thread or yarn, clew”), German Knäuel (“ballyarn; tangle”), Norwegian Nynorsk kljå (“a loom weight”); also Sanskrit ग्लौ (glau, “the moon; camphor; the earth”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 16 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-08-16CBDELOU
- 2026-03-23UCNLHED
- 2025-12-22UCNLKED
- 2025-11-04UALTECF
- 2025-10-29LCDEINU
- 2025-09-16CENUOFL
- 2025-04-23UCLEDIT
- 2025-03-27CDPUOEL
- 2024-10-19ECULONH
- 2024-06-12CAULDEB
- 2024-05-01CDOLENU
- 2024-01-19CUATFEL
+4 earlier appearances in the archive.