hawse

[ hawz, haws ]
/ hɔz, hɔs /
Nautical

noun

the part of a bow where the hawseholes are located.
a hawsehole or hawsepipe.
the distance or space between the bow of an anchored vessel and the point on the surface of the water above the anchor.
the relative position or arrangement of the port and starboard anchor cables when both are used to moor a vessel.

verb (used without object), hawsed, haws·ing.

(of a vessel) to pitch heavily at anchor.

Idioms for hawse

    to hawse, with both bow anchors out: a ship riding to hawse.

Origin of hawse

before 1000; Middle English hals, Old English heals bow of a ship, literally, neck; cognate with Old Norse hals in same senses, Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Old High German hals neck, throat, Latin collus (< *kolsos)

Words nearby hawse

hawksmoor, hawkweed, hawkyns, haworth, haworthia, hawse, hawsehole, hawsepipe, hawser, hawser bend, hawser-laid

Example sentences from the Web for hawse

British Dictionary definitions for hawse

hawse
/ (hɔːz) nautical /

noun

the part of the bows of a vessel where the hawseholes are
short for hawsehole, hawsepipe
the distance from the bow of an anchored vessel to the anchor
the arrangement of port and starboard anchor ropes when a vessel is riding on both anchors

verb

(intr) (of a vessel) to pitch violently when at anchor

Word Origin for hawse

C14: from earlier halse, probably from Old Norse háls; related to Old English heals neck