turn flukes
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb
turn flukes
- Of a whale: to go under, dive.
- (nautical slang) To turn in, go to bed.
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, chapter 3
- But come, it's getting dreadful late, you had better be turning flukes--it's a nice bed; Sal and me slept in that ere bed the night we were spliced.
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, chapter 3