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hawser

[ haw-zer, -ser ]
/ ˈhɔ zər, -sər /
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noun Nautical.

a heavy rope for mooring or towing.

RELATED WORDS

twine, string, thread, tape, cable, strand, lariat, lace, lanyard, lasso, cordage

Nearby words

haworth, haworthia, hawse, hawsehole, hawsepipe, hawser, hawser bend, hawser-laid, hawthorn, hawthorne, hawthorne effect

Origin of hawser

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; see haughty) + -our -or2, -er2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hawser

British Dictionary definitions for hawser

hawser

/ (ˈhɔːzə) /

noun

nautical a large heavy rope

Word Origin for hawser

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

Word Origin and History for hawser

hawser

n.

"large rope used for mooring, towing, etc.," late 13c., from Anglo-French haucer, from Old French halcier, haucier, literally "hoister," from Vulgar Latin *altiare, alteration of Late Latin altare "make high," from altus "high" (see old). Altered in English on mistaken association with hawse and perhaps haul.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper