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bowse

1 American  
[baus, bauz] / baʊs, baʊz /

verb (used with object)

Nautical.
bowsed, bowsing
  1. bouse.


bowse 2 American  
[booz, bauz] / buz, baʊz /

noun

bowsed, bowsing
  1. bouse.


bowse British  
/ baʊz /

verb

  1. a variant spelling of bouse

"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

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.

See Examples For:

A "cad" is a person fit for no other occupation than carrying somebody else's hawk; "booze" is a derivation of the falconer's "bowse," to drink.

From Time Magazine Archive

“Come, Ernest, bowse away on the bobstay,” cried Ellis.

From Ernest Bracebridge School Days by William I. Thomas

A gun-tackle purchase applied to the ends of the truss-pendants, to bowse them taut home to the mast.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

Drest as though bold Robin Hood10 Would, with his maid Marian, Sup and bowse from horn and can.

From Keats: Poems Published in 1820 by M. (Margaret) Robertson

We'll bowse about till Daddie Care Sing whistle owre the lave o't.

From Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Robert Burns

When the decks were cleared, the guns bowsed out, Prince went below with Nat.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

A tackle was then put on the bow, which was bowsed down until the boat could be dragged straight ahead.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 648, June 2, 1888. by Various

The line, a very slender one, was thrown up, and Bob, gathering in the slack, and noticing that it led from somewhere ahead of the schooner, bowsed it well taut and securely belayed it.

From The Pirate Island A Story of the South Pacific by C.J. Staniland

It soon became evident that the anchor had fairly begun to rise off the ground, for the buoy-rope, which at first had been bowsed taught over the stern of our launch, became quite slack.

From The Lieutenant and Commander Being Autobigraphical Sketches of His Own Career, from Fragments of Voyages and Travels by Basil Hall

“In a moment,” Eric said, “the wheelbarrow got bowsed over, when I managed, worse luck, to fall underneath; and then, finding I couldn’t get up again, I hailed you, brother.”

From Fritz and Eric The Brother Crusoes by John C. (John Conroy) Hutcheson

"Oakes is bowsing out his jib with his brother baronet, as we sailors say, and I have hauled out of the line, without a signal."

From The Two Admirals by James Fenimore Cooper

All hands is bowsing out their jibs on it, sir, and the old Hall will soon be carrying as much sail as she can stagger under.

From The Two Admirals by James Fenimore Cooper

A purchase used in bowsing down the eyes of the lower rigging over the mast-heads; lifting objects from the hold; getting anchors over the side, &c.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

Hauling upon a tack is called "bowsing upon a tack," and when they would have the men pull all together, they cry, "Bowse away."

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

Place a tackle across the deck ready for bowsing the gun into its carriage through the port.

From Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition. by United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Ordnance

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