hawser

noun

haw·​ser ˈhȯ-zər How to pronounce hawser (audio)
: a large rope for towing, mooring, or securing a ship

Examples of hawser in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ordinarily, ships are secured to piers via thick ropes known as mooring lines or hawsers. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 20 Nov. 2024 Striped strings broke up the theatre’s aerial volume, inspired, Foreman once said, by the tension hawsers and trapeze rigging in a circus tent. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024 Spaghetti-thin shoelaces, sturdy hawsers, silk cravats — all are routinely tied in knots. Quanta Magazine, 9 Dec. 2013

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French haucer, from Anglo-French halcer, haucer to raise, hoist, from Vulgar Latin *altiare, from Latin altus high — more at old

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hawser was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near hawser

Cite this Entry

“Hawser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hawser. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

hawser

noun
haw·​ser ˈhȯ-zər How to pronounce hawser (audio)
: a large rope for towing or tying up a ship
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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