Hawser
//hɔːzə// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A thick or heavy-duty cable or rope used to tow or moor a ship.
"The hawser was as taut as a bowstring, and the current so strong she pulled upon her anchor. All around the hull, in the blackness, the rippling current bubbled and chattered like a little mountain stream."
- 2 large heavy rope for nautical use wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"A rowboat tows a mooring line, which in turn is tied to a hawser."
Etymology
From Middle English hauser, haucer, from Anglo-Norman haucer, from Vulgar Latin *altiāre (“to raise”), derived from Latin altus (“high”). Altered in English by mistaken association with hawse and perhaps haul. Compare French aussière, haussière.
Related phrases
More for "hawser"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.