furl

¹

[ furl ]

verb (used with object)

1. to gather into a compact roll and bind securely, as a sail against a spar or a flag against its staff.

verb (used without object)

1. to become furled.

noun

1. the act of furling.
2. something furled, as a roll.

furl.

²

abbreviation for

1. furlough.

furl

/ fɜːl /

verb

1. to roll up (an umbrella, a flag, etc) neatly and securely or (of an umbrella, flag, etc) to be rolled up in this way
2. tr nautical to gather in (a square sail)

noun

1. the act or an instance of furling
2. a single rolled-up section

Derived Forms

• ˈfurler, noun
• ˈfurlable, adjective

Other Words From

• furla·ble adjective
• furler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of furl¹

1550–60; compare Middle French ferler in same sense, perhaps representing Old French ferlier to chain, fasten, equivalent to fer firm (< Latin firmus ) + lier to bind (< Latin ligāre )

Word History and Origins

Origin of furl¹

C16: from Old French ferlier to bind tightly, from ferm tight (from Latin firmus firm ¹) + lier to tie, bind, from Latin ligāre

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. furl in a body, Nautical. to furl (a square sail) with loose canvas gathered at the mast, so as to make a harbor furl.
2. furl in the bunt, Nautical. to furl (a square sail) by gathering canvas upward, so as to load the yard equally at all points.

Example Sentences

Dinner commences with a flurry of snacks — a bite of pork rillettes paired with fig and black garlic, a furl of smoked salmon on a dab of yogurt and pickled herbs — before moving on to dishes that ask diners to eat outside the box.

From Washington Post

He filmed their interactions and became increasingly dazzled by how she could fashion tools from shells, furl herself in ribbons of kelp to avoid detection, outwit a a pajama shark and adjust her hunting techniques to envelop crabs, lobsters and fish.

From Seattle Times

He filmed their interactions and became increasingly dazzled by how she could fashion tools from shells, furl herself in ribbons of kelp to avoid detection, outwit a a pajama shark and adjust her hunting techniques to envelop crabs, lobsters and fish.

From Washington Times

Leaders from business, religion, education and sports - including, crucially, the Southeastern Conference - lobbied legislators to furl Mississippi’s 126-year-old flag, saying that the banner did not properly represent a state with a 38% Black population.

From Washington Times

Leaders from business, religion, education and sports — including, crucially, the Southeastern Conference — lobbied legislators to furl Mississippi’s 126-year-old flag, saying that the banner did not properly represent a state with a 38% Black population.

From Seattle Times