Hawse

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hawse \Hawse\ (h[add]z or h[add]s; 277), n. [Orig. a hawse hole,
     or hole in the bow of the ship; cf. Icel. hals, h[=a]ls,
     neck, part of the bows of a ship, AS. heals neck. See
     {Collar}, and cf. {Halse} to embrace.]
     1. A hawse hole. --Harris.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. (Naut.)
        (a) The situation of the cables when a vessel is moored
            with two anchors, one on the starboard, the other on
            the port bow.
        (b) The distance ahead to which the cables usually extend;
            as, the ship has a clear or open hawse, or a foul
            hawse; to anchor in our hawse, or athwart hawse.
        (c) That part of a vessel's bow in which are the hawse
            holes for the cables.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     {Athwart hawse}. See under {Athwart}.
  
     {Foul hawse}, a hawse in which the cables cross each other,
        or are twisted together.
  
     {Hawse block}, a block used to stop up a hawse hole at sea;
        -- called also {hawse plug}.
  
     {Hawse piece}, one of the foremost timbers of a ship, through
        which the hawse hole is cut.
  
     {Hawse plug}. Same as {Hawse block} (above).
  
     {To come in at the hawse holes}, to enter the naval service
        at the lowest grade. [Cant]
  
     {To freshen the hawse}, to veer out a little more cable and
        bring the chafe and strain on another part.
        [1913 Webster] hawsehole

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hawse
       n : the hole that an anchor rope passes through [syn: {hawsehole},
            {hawsepipe}]