Squilgee

//ˈskwɪld͡ʒiː// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A tool in the form of a mop or swab, or a blade with a long handle, used for cleaning and/or drying a vessel's deck; a type of squeegee. historical

    "After the holy-stone, comes the squill-gee; a wooden instrument like a hoe, but with a face, broad and flat, and lined with leather: the decks are partly dried with it; and the operation is completed by the swabs, articles formed by tying a number of loose yarns together, now dashed, by their handles, with violence about the deck."

Verb
  1. 1
    Synonym of squeegee (“to use a (squilgee or) squeegee on (something, such as a surface)”). also, figuratively, transitive

Example

More examples

"After the holy-stone, comes the squill-gee; a wooden instrument like a hoe, but with a face, broad and flat, and lined with leather: the decks are partly dried with it; and the operation is completed by the swabs, articles formed by tying a number of loose yarns together, now dashed, by their handles, with violence about the deck."

Etymology

The origin of the noun is unknown; compare squeegee which is attested later. The verb is probably derived from the noun.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.