1. to untwist or separate the strands of a rope or cable
Usage: nautical

Examples

• The sailor had to unlay the old rope to examine the damaged strands.
• Before splicing the cables together, we need to unlay about six inches of each end.
• The rigger carefully unlaid the hawser to check for wear.
• To repair the rope, first unlay the twisted fibers at the frayed section.
• The dock worker unlaid several feet of the mooring line to replace a worn section.