HAWSE Definition & Meaning

hawse

[ hawz, haws ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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, hawsing.

(of a vessel) to pitch heavily at anchor.

hawse

/ ��ɔː�� /

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

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of hawse¹

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 )

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of hawse¹

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

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Idioms and Phrases

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

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It was rough and scouring, like rusty anchor chain reeling through a hawse.

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Again there was the sound of many waters, more mighty yet, as hawse pipes and scuppers spouted forth their loads.

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On this Thursday she dipped down below her hawse pipes.

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The link that broke, of the chain, was in the hawse exposed to a current of cold air through the hawse-hole.

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“Think I couldn’t follow Bill Dover and his spotted nigh hawse?” exploded the driver.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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