hawser
UK[ˈhɔːzə]US[ˈhɔːzər]
n
a thick rope or cable, especially one used for mooring or towing a ship.
Etymology
The word 'hawser' entered English in the late 14th century from the Anglo-French term haucier, meaning 'to hoist'. This, in turn, derived from the Old French verb haucier or halcier (modern French hausser), meaning 'to raise, to lift'. The Old French term has its ultimate origins in the Vulgar Latin altiare, a derivative of the Latin altus, meaning 'high'. The semantic journey connects the action of hoisting or lifting with the specific nautical object—a heavy rope used for towing or mooring—that is essential for raising anchors and sails.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Anglo-French. It does not contain separable, productive morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The crew secured the ship to the dock with a heavy hawser.
The hawser snapped under the immense strain of the storm-tossed vessel.
They carefully coiled the wet hawser on the deck after use.