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.

From Washington Post

“I can see nothing; we are still; there are no waves lapping, but only a steady swirl of water softly running against the hawser. I can hear men’s voices calling, near and far, and the roll and creak of oars in the rowlocks. A gun is fired somewhere; the echo of it seems far away. There is tramping of feet overhead, and ropes and chains are dragged along. What is this? There is a gleam of light; I can feel the air blowing upon me.”

From Literature

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

From New York Times

Langford, who recanted his mother's eyewitness account of the Carl coming aground to Booby's Bay, added that they got the ship off the reef, but "as soon as they had done so, the towing hawser on each tug parted, Carl went ahead out of control and grounded on the inner reef."

From Fox News

This wasn’t the rope I dream about: the one that’s as thick as an icebreaker’s hawser and is stretched across the gym for people to whip up and down like they’re trying to throttle an anaconda.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• cable
• strand
• string
• tape
• thread
• twine