hawsepipe

[hawz-pahyp, haws-]

noun

Nautical.

1. an iron or steel pipe in the stem or bow of a vessel through which an anchor cable passes.

hawsepipe

/ ˈhɔːzˌpaɪp /

noun

1. Often shortened to: hawse. nautical a strong metal pipe through which an anchor rope passes

Word History and Origins

Origin of hawsepipe¹

First recorded in 1860–65; hawse + pipe ¹

Example Sentences

With a rush and a roar the stout hempen cable ran through the hawsepipe, the vessel snubbed, swung round, and the next moment the cable parted as if made of pack thread.

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The fo'lk'sle, too, from the fact of the cable running through it, was like a neglected sewer, the blocks of foul-smelling mud dropping continually from the links as they came in through the hawsepipes.

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His progression up the ranks is known in the trade as “coming up through the hawsepipe,” an allusion to the opening that a ship’s anchor chain passes through.

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The No. 5 heaved anchor, the chain clanking and chattering in a hawsepipe.

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With a hammer he knocked out the stopper; the starboard anchor dropped and the red rust flew from her hawsepipe as the anchor chain screamed through it.

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