Naut. Forms: 6–7 carene, 7 carine, (careene, carreene, caren, carrine, 7–8 carreen, 8 creen), 7– careen. [corresponds to mod.F. caréner, earlier cariner, Sp. carenar, It. carenare, f. F. carène, Sp. or It. carena keel:—L. carīna keel.
(The precise source of the vb. does not appear; it may even have been f. the sb.: the Fr., Sp., It. verb is not in Cotgr., Minsheu, Florio.)]
1. trans. To turn (a ship) over on one side for cleaning, caulking or repairing; to clean, caulk, etc. (a ship so turned over).
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. A fit place to carene the ship.
1628. Digby, Voy. Medit. (1868), 56. To stay att Milo to carine and fitt her.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, I. 28. A Fountain of Pitch … with which they caren Vessels.
1687. B. Randolph, Archipel., 11. To carine his ship.
1747. Col. Records Penn., V. 71. His Sloop cou’d not go to Sea without being Careen’d.
1849. W. Irving, Columbus, III. 25. Finding a convenient harbor … he unloaded and careened his vessels.
fig. 1763. H. Walpole, Corr. (1837), II. 189. After an Irish voyage I do not wonder you want careening.
† b. transf. Humorously To careen a wig.
1675. Character Town Gallant, 5. He … pulls out his Comb, Carreens his Wigg.
1702. Eng. Theophrast., 53. He [the beau] is two long hours careeding his wig.
1702. Poet Banter’d, 48. Swiming Line careend with Flies.
2. absol.
1697. Dampier, Voy., I. xvl. 443. A fine small Cove … fit to Careen in.
1790. Beatson, Nav. & Mil. Mem., I. 227. The Commodore … informed the Captains, that his orders were … to careen, and refit.
1821. Byron, Juan, III. xx. He left his ship … With orders to the people to careen.
fig. 1737. M. Green, Spleen (1807), 173. Once in seven years I’m seen At Bath or Tunbridge, to careen.
1804. Hunter, in Sat. Rev. (1874), 3 Jan., 20/1 (Hoppe). We … got him safe to Eskmount that night. There he is at present, careening, and the ladies take the best care possible of him.
b. Said of the ship itself.
1667. Lond. Gaz., No. 145/3. Some that were driven to shore, were since forced to unlade and Carine.
1670. Marvell, Let. Mayor Hull, Wks. I. 155. Liberty for our ships to careen and victual in any of his ports.
1720. Lond. Gaz., No. 5827/1. The Barfleur … is now carreening.
3. trans. To cause (a ship) to heel over.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xii. (1859), 281. Do you mean to careen the ship that you have all run to the starboard side?
1836. Marryat, Pirate, xi. The heavy blows of the seas upon the sides of the vessel careened and shook her.
4. intr. ‘A ship is said to careen when she inclines to one side, or lies over when sailing on a wind’ (Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.).
a. 1763. Shenstone, Love & Hon., 99. The fleet careen’d, the wind propitious fills The swelling sails.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., II. 32. Careening as if never more to right.
1863. Dicey, Federal St., I. 4. The ship staggered, careened, and reeled, as wave after wave came thundering on her.
1883. G. C. Davies, Norfolk Broads, ix. 76. If the wind is strong then the yachts careen over to the very verge of safety.
