1 C1 neutral
In sailing and seafaring, to coil a rope in a flat, circular spiral on the deck.
"Once the anchor was set, the first mate cheesed down the remaining line neatly on the foredeck."
separable
cheese down
C1 neutral separable transitive
In nautical usage, to coil a rope neatly in a flat, spiral pattern resembling a round of cheese.
In plain English
To wind a rope into a flat, circular coil on the deck of a boat, like the shape of a round wheel of cheese.
What does "cheese down" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To coil (rope) 'down' into a flat disc shape resembling a cheese — fully literal in maritime use.
Actually means
To wind a rope into a flat, circular coil on the deck of a boat, like the shape of a round wheel of cheese.
Usage tip
Exclusively a nautical/sailing term. Very rare outside seafaring contexts. The noun 'cheese' in this context refers to the finished coiled shape. Not used in everyday general English.
Words that pair with "cheese down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rope line cable deck coil
How to conjugate "cheese down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cheese down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cheeses down
he/she/it
Past simple
cheesed down
yesterday
Past participle
cheesed down
have + pp
-ing form
cheesing down
continuous
Hear "cheese down" in the wild
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