hawser

[haw-zer, -ser]

noun

Nautical.

1. a heavy rope for mooring or towing.

hawser

/ ˈhɔːzə /

noun

1. nautical a large heavy rope

Word History and Origins

Origin of hawser¹

1300–50; Middle English haucer < Anglo-French hauceour, equivalent to Middle French hauci ( er ) to hoist (< Late Latin *altiāre to raise, derivative of Latin altus high; haughty ) + -our -or ², -er ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of hawser¹

C14: from Anglo-French hauceour , from Old French haucier to hoist, ultimately from Latin altus high

Example Sentences

Bollards were first used in a maritime setting, where they were immovable objects to which a ship could safely lash its hawser after docking.

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Falling to the floor behind her was a braid as thick as a hawser.

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Very strong steel hawsers with hooks on the ends of them were lowered from the front and rear of each helicopter.

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He saved nearly 40 lives by diving into the churning seas with a rope, then used it to pull a thick hawser taut between the yacht and the beach as a lifeline for survivors.

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She found him in his shorts, lying in the hammock that he had hung from the beams with a ship's hawser.

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Related Words

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