GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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1.       
   Hawse (ha̤z or ha̤s; 277), n. [Orig. a hawse hole, or hole in the bow of the ship; cf. Icel. hals, hāls, neck, part of the bows of a ship, AS. heals neck. See Collar, and cf. Halse to embrace.]
   1. A hawse hole.  Harris.
   
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   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.
   
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   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.
   
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