[app. dim. of It. coda:—L. cauda tail; but the history of the term is obscure.] The coarse tow of flax or hemp.
1785. Act 25 Geo. III., c. 56 § 2. Short chucking … codilla.
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, 59. Codilla is a short hemp taken from the root-end of Petersburgh.
1880. Daily News, 11 Dec., 3/8. Flax, tow, and codilla on the spot were quiet.
