Meaning & use
Bowse
Last updated
A nautical term meaning to haul or pull tight on a rope or tackle, typically to hoist or secure something heavy.
See it in a sentence
The sailors bowsed the anchor chain taut before setting off.
They had to bowse the sail lines down hard against the rising wind.
A note on using this word
"Bowse" (sometimes spelled "bouse") is chiefly nautical vocabulary and rarely appears outside sailing and rigging contexts today.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
slackenease
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