hawser
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
hawser /ˈhɔːzə/
▶noun a thick rope or cable for mooring or towing a ship.
– origin ME: from Anglo-Norman Fr. haucer, from OFr. haucier ‘to hoist’, based on L. altus ‘high’.
'hawser' also found in these Oxford entries:

