towline

American

[toh-lahyn] / ˈtoʊˌlaɪn /

noun

a line, hawser, or the like, by which anything is or may be towed.

towline British

/ ˈtəʊˌlaɪn /

noun

another name for towrope

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of towline

1710–20; tow ¹ + line ¹; compare Old English tohlīne ( tow ³ )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Towline all clear!" called the engineer a moment later, and the jib went up in a hurry.

From A Victorious Union by Optic, Oliver

Towline and pole, paddle and tumpline, rapids and portages—such tortures served to give the one a deep disgust for great hazards, and printed for the other a fiery text on the true romance of adventure.

From The Son of the Wolf by London, Jack

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023