Hawse \Hawse\ (h[add]z or h[add]s; 277), n. [Orig. a hawse hole, or hole in 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.

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.

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 hole, a hole in the bow of a ship, through which a cable passes.

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)