Forms: α. 7 woll (pa. t. and pa. pple. wolled, woolled), 9 wool; β. 7– would, 8– woold (9 wowld, wold). [The late appearance of this word suggests that it is a back-formation from WOOLDING (q.v.), but it was probably a late ME. adoption of MLG. wolen, wölen (LG. wölen, pa. pple. wöld), MDu. woelen ‘premere … constringere, torquere’ (Kilian), Du. woelen to woold (whence G. wuhlen, wulen, Da. vule), also Du. bewoelen (G. bewuhlen), Flem. woeln, oelin to bind round with cord or rope, WFris. woelje to wind. (Further relations are uncertain.) The infinitive forms would, woold appear to be due to the influence of the pa. t. and pa. pple.] trans. (Naut.) To wind rope or chain round (a mast or the like) to strengthen it where it is broken or where (being made of two or more pieces) it is fished or scarfed. Also said of the rope.
α. 1616. R. Cocks, Diary (Hakl. Soc.), I. 96. The master sent hym to tell me the mast was wolled.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea, xxxvi. 82. Wee woolled the two byghtes to the shanke. Ibid., lxi. 147. In fishing and wolling our mastes and yards.
1674. Josselyn, Two Voy., 5. We found the head of our mainmast … shivered and the fore-top-mast crackt; So they wolled them both.
β. a. 1625. Manwayring, Sea-man’s Dict. (1644), 116. To Would: or Woulding is to bind Roapes about any Mast, yard, or the like, to keepe on a fish, or somewhat to strengthen it.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., 35. With her whole Body woulded about with Hawsers for preventing her very sides falling out.
1730. Capt. W. Wriglesworth, MS. Log-bk. of the ‘Lyell,’ 30 Oct., Yesterday in the afternoon stowed the Lazaretta, and this morning Woolded the Main Mast.
1750. [see WOOLDING 1 b].
1804. Nelson, 27 Aug., in Nicolas, Disp. (1846), VI. 172. You will use every dispatch in woolding and securing the foremast.
1837. Marryat, Perc. Keene, xx. Our main-mast bad received so many shots, that we were obliged to wold it for its support.
b. gen. To wrap or bind round.
1775. Romans, Florida, App. 65. Keeping your lead going, till you come on soundings so soft that the lead will bring none of the mud up, unless it be woolded with canvas.
1823. [see WOOLDER].
1833. Marryat, Peter Simple, xliii. A carronade, well woulded up.
1837. E. Howard, Old Commodore, II. 62. This love of a tail was woulded, with studied accuracy, by brilliant, black, and very narrow ribbon.
1847. Halliwell, Wool … (2) To twist a chain round a refractory horse to render him obedient. Kent.
1890. W. C. Russell, Nelson, 62. Her hull was kept together by cables, which frapped or woolded the fabric from stem to stern.
